Mass Effect: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
by AThousandSuns
Summary: Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality.
1. Prologue: An Echo in Our Legends

**Mass Effect: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow**

 _A/N - Hey everyone! This is an idea I've had kicking around for a while now, and it was well into its fourth chapter before my computer decided to join the dead and take all my notes for all my stories with it. Luckily, this was the most recent and I had done most of the notes taking on my phone.  
_

 _Now, there are things not going to seem right in the lore surrounding both Mass Effect and Metal Gear. I've taken some liberties and changed some things around in order to incorporate both worlds into one, but there shouldn't be much that is too outlandish._

 _Hope you enjoy as much as I've enjoyed writing!_

 **Prologue: An Echo in Our Legends  
**

"There's nothing we can do... she's gone." The doctor said as he removed his gloves and tossed them into the nearest disposal. Three people stood around a gurney. They were all silent—their faces downtrodden and drenched in misery.

The woman of blue skin looked away from the shell of a body that lay in front of them. She felt the knot in her throat swell painfully and she fought hard not to sob, to remain composed in front of the others. Her fist clenched tight till her knuckles turned white.

The man opposite her took a long drag from his cigarette, longer than he normally would, afraid of the inevitable, of all his wasted resources. "You're positive—"

The doctor nodded. "She was found beneath the hull of the Normandy, crushed, including her brain matter and all—if not—most of her bones. Even if it hadn't crushed her; entering the atmosphere with no way to slow down her descent and crashing into the planet... her suit wasn't made to survive atmospheric re-entry… she was incinerated."

"I'm sorry, sir… if she had only crash landed... maybe we could have recovered her in a state that may have theoretically allowed us to save her… But with this amount of damage... even a miracle couldn't bring her back" The doctor rubbed the back of his neck, swallowing hard.

The Illusive Man's holographic image flickered, he took another long drag of his cigarette. He stared at the corpse on the gurney, the only one who could have saved them... dead, her body only a husk, she had been reaped from them, when they needed her most. "Evans… return her back to the Alliance, use our decoy channels. Keep them in the dark about our involvement."

The doctor nodded, leaving the med-bay. A silence hovered about them. It hung in the air like a thick fog.

The Illusive Man flicked his cigarette and directed his gaze to the woman of blue. He stared forlornly, and bowed his head. "Ms T'Soni… I'm very sorry." He said, and his glowing figure disappeared.

Liara stood alone. She felt the tears slip through, caressing her cheeks with despair. She held a hand to her mouth and took a step to the body with a quivering lip. Her footfall echoed a pain of a thousand years, a pain she would never forget. After all the trouble, all the pain and the sorrow to get her back... and now she would never see her face. She'd never see her scowl, never see her fight, smile or laugh. She'd never see her dance again either, something she would give the world to see her do right now.

She placed a hand on the former woman's, she felt it crisp to her touch, frozen in time, frozen in terror. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. As they fell, so she did, landing on her knees beside the gurney with a weight of a singularity. She gripped Her hand, a desperate attempt for the woman to move.

"Oh goddess..." She wept, crying into the blackened shoulder of Her.

"Shepard... come back."

* * *

The world turned red and white as his body hit the concrete with a heavy thud, the force of the landing knocked the wind from him, and he fought to breathe through the pain. His throat gurgled with blood and he struggled to breathe in and out.

Big Boss, defeated, beaten by a mere boy. Shock hung in the air, but even through the convulsions that corrupted his body, Venom Snake—Big Boss, couldn't help but feel regret and pity for the young man who dropped to a knee, out of breath and exhausted.

The young man gazed down at the legendary soldier, Big Boss' breaths labored and harsh, his only eye red, dazed, and tired.

The old man laughed a silent laugh as he found air. He looked up at the young man who had beaten him and squinted to see him in focus.

"You're... pretty good, kid." He whispered. "Better... than Him, I'd bet." He added with a half-heartened laugh that turned into a curdled cough.

The younger man wiped the sweat and blood from his brow. "Him?" He asked, confused by the statement.

"Him, the Boss... my… Boss." Venom Snake whispered.

The young man shook his head, still not sure of what he meant. He leaned closer to the old man. "Boss, why'd you do it... why'd you betray us? Why betray your country?" He wished to know, so that he could return home, believing Big Boss was not a traitor, that it served a greater purpose somewhere he did not see.

The phantom swallowed. He looked up to the sky. Smoke and ash pervaded the air as the communications tower burned.

Outer Heaven was cloaked in fire. Their heaven was now a tombstone dedicated to their failure... and all from a lowly boy—No, he wasn't a boy, not any longer. He was a soldier—a man, and he could not feel anymore sorry for him than he did now. He persevered and pushed through, all under the pretense of Patriotism... He finished his mission and lost a piece of himself.

What did he ask him? Why did he do it?

He swallowed the blood down. "It was... for him." He said, and looked up at the young man. He looked so much like Him already, for someone so young. With so much life left in him.

"Did it... for me." He labored.

He groaned painfully. "Look at us, kid… killing is all we know… it's all we do... we're... walking corpses. But... at least I... I fought for—" An image of a woman appeared in his mind, of one who he hadn't thought of for a long time. Her hair brown and tied back, her blue eyes clouded by black, she stared at him devilishly, lovingly.

He swallowed the blood down. "... For her." He said. He stared up at the sky for another moment before looking at the boy turned soldier, and pointed a shaky finger at him. "What… are you… fighting…for?" His hand fell to the floor. "Solid Snake..."

There was silence between them before Venom Snake saw the young man's face disappear in a mist of red, and then the world followed. He was so tired, he'd rest… to join Her, at long last.

Solid Snake stood and watched the older man—Big Boss, disappear. His only eye drifted close and the last of his breath faded. He walked away from the world of the living, Big Boss was no more.

He swallowed and stood as tall as he could, He was about to turn to leave when he spotted something in the dead man's front pocket and reached down. He pulled out out a long black bandana—stitched inside, it read "For Her" in white twine.

Snake held it for a moment before he wrapped it around his head, just over his brow line. He turned and ran to the elevator, and when the doors began to close behind him, he gazed long and hard at the body that lay across the roof, lifeless and broken. The doors closed, and with them, the Legend of Big Boss came to an end.


	2. Chapter I: This Hell, it's Home

**Mass Effect: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow**

 _I would like to emphasis that this is very much a Mass Effect 2 novelization, with some twists and turns, and differences in between. Thanks! - AThousandSuns_

 **Chapter I: This Hell, it's Home**

The world was an ocean— a void without shallows. It toiled and churned in waves of murky blue as shadows danced around in his peripheral, like figures behind a cascading waterfall. They spoke in inaudible tongues, echoed in the sea he sank into.

He felt cold and the fingers of his left hand ached as if they were still there, though he knew otherwise. He felt his eyes open, and he was blinded by florescent light. The voice that spoke, did so through a cloud of dust, but he slowly, his voice cleared through and through, and shortly after, he began to understand.

"Reaction to light—" Another voice, a woman's voice.

"There—on the monitor, something's wrong." She said, worryingly.

The gloomy depths cleared slowly—like he was floating to the surface. He forced his eyes open this time and saw the lights above, dance through waves—they stung and hurt, and he struggled to keep his eyes from shutting even just a sliver.

"He's reacting to outside stimuli... he's showing an awareness of his surroundings." The man leaned over him, he could see his eyes, pale blue. "Oh my god, Miranda... I think he's waking up."

The woman—Miranda, she stood over him also, leaning close, her brow a furrow and her lips a frown. She held his eyelid open and shone a flashlight into his vision.

She cursed and leaned away. "Damn it, Wilson, he's not ready yet! Give him the sedative."

Snake lifted his left hand, only to see it was gone, the prosthesis he was accustomed to, gone. The woman placed a hand on his forearm and chest, pushing him down back onto the bed.

"Big Boss, don't try to move. Just lie still."

His chest suddenly flared and his body seized. His heart constricted. It felt as if a hand gripped it tightly and refused to let go.

"Damn it, he's slipping into cardiac arrest!" Miranda shouted. "Prep the defib! Try to stay calm, Boss."

The world began to disappear as he sank further and further, back into the deep, dark ocean.

Their voices faded the longer he drowned, choking on the whispers around him.

He heard an angelic hum then, a woman's voice in his ear. A song of sorrow and regret. He could barely make her image in the waves above.

His chest heaved and a voltage of electricity shook him to his very core.

He couldn't breathe. He was going to die if he did not.

Another shock erupted through him. Out of his entire body, his left hand hurt the most. His fingers that were gone, clenched and tightened. Another shock and his body fell loose. His locked muscles relaxed and he found his breath.

He breathed through the knot in his throat and found he had not the strength to stay awake.

"Heart rate dropping... stats falling back into normal range." Wilson wiped his brow and sighed a breath of relief.

"That was close... we almost lost him."

Miranda's voice echoed in his head as she looked down at him, shining the flashlight into his eye once more. "I told you your estimates were off. Run the numbers again."

Venom Snake broke the surface of the ocean, and he saw the night sky above. He saw the clouds float in the midnight above, and the blinking luminescence of celestial objects dead millions of years ago, shone back at him.

She hummed sweetly behind him, letting him know she was there.

He turned to face her—her skin was bright under the bright moonlight and she stood with a hand on her hip and a tender smile—one she reserved for him in their moments alone—when she thought he wasn't looking. He swallowed hard, his heart a quake in the void of his chest. His feet settled in the Afghan sand below.

She ambled to him, one foot before the other in a delicate saunter. She didn't speak, he didn't either... they never needed to—not really, they understood each other almost perfectly.

Forever ago, she had wished they shared a common tongue, so that she may confess to him her real feelings... but he was glad they did not. He did not speak to anyone, not really anyway, not anymore.

She understood his language. Even better than he himself.

She raised a hand and laid it on his shoulder with the lightness of a feather. The warmth of her hand on his bare skin was a jolt like a bullet fired from a rifle.

He averted his gaze, staring at her boots shyly. He felt her other hand touch his cheek then, her fingers tracing the shape of his jaw, and lifted his chin to force him to meet her icy stare.

When he did, his stomach twisted in sorrow and regret, in ache and in yearning.

She smiled at his bashfulness, his eye never fixating on hers for long. She hummed and tilted her head, pulling herself closer.

He could feel her breath on his lips. He wanted to reach out, to wrap his battle worn hands around her in a sweet embrace, but still he remained, afraid to move. He swallowed and breathed, shutting his eyes and breathing in her scent.

She smelled of rain and mist, of a forest after a storm, earthly and green. She smelled of perfection.

 _"Quiet..."_ He whispered.

He missed her... God, did he miss her. Straight until the day he died, he thought of the speechless sniper, from her icy stare to that reassured feeling he would have, knowing she peered over his shoulder through the lens of a scope.

He remembered their one occasion in the rain... a moment of rest between them where he felt young and innocent again, and did not feel the weight of the world, slung onto his back.

The woman kissed his cheek delicately, her lips soft and wet, warm and inviting. She leaned into his ear and exhaled a whisper. _"Wake up..."_

The room lurched and an explosion thundered beyond.

He woke sore and tired, he felt another tremor shake the room enough to upset his empty stomach.

A voice boomed in an unseen intercom.

 _"Big Boss, do you hear me? Get out of that bed now, this facility is under attack!"_ It shouted with desperation.

Venom Snake opened his eye slow, his vision a blur and blinded by the lights overhead. He felt the room shake again and adrenaline began to course through his veins with familiarity.

He sat up sharply, and his back popped in several places. His chest was tender and his head weighed a thousand tonnes. He glanced around as his sight began to focus.

He was in an infirmary, he could tell by the smell—sanitation and staleness.

 _"Boss, I know you're tired, but I need you to get moving. This facility is under attack."_ The voice said again, he recognized it as a woman named Miranda, though he could not remember meeting any Miranda before.

He slipped his legs over the side of the gurney with an agonized groan. His joints and bones weak and in pain.

 _"There's a pistol in the locker on the other side of the room, your prosthetic arm is there, hurry!"_

He pushed himself off the table and promptly fell hard on the floor when his legs buckled under his weight. His stomach flipped and he heaved dryly. He took a moment to breathe before lifting himself onto his bare feet and rushed over to the locker as fast as he could.

The first thing he noticed was himself in the mirror, he looked just as he did last he remembered—his dark brunette hair was long, streaked with greys, and was pulled back with a loose tie. His beard was peppered with fifty shades of grey, and his right eye was hidden behind his titular eye patch.

He noticed his prosthetic arm first in the locker and slipped it on like a worn glove. He next saw a pair of hospital scrubs and pulled them on.

Lastly, he picked up the pistol, gripping it tightly in his hand.

It was of foreign design; larger than any pistol he had ever held, but weighed little more than a .45 caliber handgun. It read Predator Mk.7 on the side and it didn't look loaded, and proved so when he tried to squeeze the trigger, the gun beeped in response as a light flashed red.

 _"We'll find some ammo along the way, head for the door!"_ Miranda's voice echoed.

He moved to the large bulkhead feeling every movement he made pop a new joint somewhere in his body. He peaked out the door and marched through, gun poised.

 _"Someone's hacking security, they're trying to kill you."_ Miranda informed as he passed through the archway.

He was greeted by the sight of a dead man, curled on the floor outside the medbay in defeat.

 _"Check and see if they have a thermal clip on them. It'll look like an oversized battery."_

Snake crouched down and turned him over. He saw the expression of fear petrified on his face, a small group of bullet wounds littered his stomach and chest.

He patted him down and found a few of what he assumed were thermal clips. The Predator operated much like a battery it seemed, and he only needed a moment to figure out how to slid the thermal clip into the bare slot of the pistol. The handgun sprang to life with a whir and a green light, locked and armed, ready for combat.

 _"Good, head through the next door and take a right, be careful; someone hacked the mechs and they're attacking anyone in sight."_

Snake passed through the bulkhead, hopping over a barricade made of delivery crates and supply boxes.

 _"Look out! Three mechs on the stairs!"_ Miranda shouted as bullets fired over his head.

He ducked behind a crate and listened as bullets crashed against the other side of his cover. Their firing pattern was systematic, firing three shots per burst.

When their shots became irregularly timed, Snake popped out of the open and fired, his rounds pierced their vulnerable heads, resulting in an explosion as their bodies scattered about in bits of plastic and circuitry.

He stood and took a breath. He would be lying if engaging an enemy did not strike him with flair of comfort. He was a soldier after all, the battlefield his true home.

 _"Age hasn't slowed you down one bit, Big Boss."_ Miranda's voice spoke over the intercom. _"Move up to the next level and take another right through the doors. We need to get you to the shuttle bay."_

He jogged up the steps and moved through the next room. Three more mechs appeared and he quickly disposed of them with the same method as before.

 _"Nice work. Go straight and take another right."_

He moved to the next corridor and an alarm blared in the room beyond. An inferno raged behind the glass separating the corridors.

Two people stormed out of the flames, firing rifles into the blaze.

Snake ducked to the side, behind the corner, looking into the closed off corridor curiously. A grisly shadow appeared through the encompassing fire; tall and wide, mechanical and emotionless.

He watched as gunfire peppered the glass when the shadow gunned down the poor souls, their blood smothered the window in a display of putrid horror.

The silhouetted mech stood still, its head danced back and forth as it scanned the now empty hall. When satisfied, it turned back and disappeared back into the inferno it emerged from.

Miranda's voice came in over the intercom. _"Don't waste any time, I can't keep the mechs distracted for long."_

Snake nodded, and jogged down the corridor, past the next set of doors into a dark warehouse with a bridge and proceeded down the lift. He moved across the hall past another set of doors.

 _"Boss, you're doing great."_ The intercom became static as Miranda spoke. _"Can you...ar me? I'll meet...uttle bay... mechs closing—"_ Her voice cut off completely, lost in the overwhelming static.

He was on his own now, alone in a facility he was unfamiliar with, wearing nothing but scrubs and armed with just a pistol.

He sighed inwardly when he was reminded of the last time he woke in a hospital under attack. He strode past an office room and proceeded past the next bulkhead. The floor was cold on the soles of his feet and his bones ached from the brisk air. Another explosion in the distance shook the station viciously.

There was a muffled scream from the top of the stairs ahead of him, and Big Boss shrunk his form low. He stealthily peeked around the railing above him in time to watch another giant mech crush a mans head against the window.

Snake ducked, feeling its red eye inspecting the stairwell. A beat passed before he heard its thunderous steps fade down the hallway. He moved past the window and the next door over and entered another area. He could hear gunfire as he hugged the wall of the tunnel he was exiting, a large hall with a wide gap in the center . Snake kept behind the wall, glancing around the corner to see a dark skinned man firing at the mechs across the corridor.

The man fired blindly over the guard rail. "Damn it!" He shouted, popping out the thermal clip of his pistol and loading another. He looked around and saw Snake. "Hey! Gimme a hand!" He shouted, standing and firing at the mechs, destroying one as it reloaded.

Snake considered before crouch—running from behind the wall, shooting at the mechs as he did so, and ducking behind cover beside the soldier.

"Big Boss? What are you doing here? I thought you were a work in progress." The man shouted over the gunfire. He fired a few more rounds over the rail. "Doesn't matter for now, let's take out these droids before they take us out!" He called, standing and firing downwind.

Snake nodded and joined in, taking pot shots at the mechs as more appeared. The dark skinned man glowed curiously as he made an uppercut motion and one of the mechs flew into the air, to which he shot it through the chest a few times. They continued to mow down the mechs until the hall became quiet, their firearms hot at the barrel.

With a sigh of ease, the man stood and held a hand to Snake. "Jacob Taylor, head of security."

Snake eyed his hand and after a moment, Jacob withdrew it.

"I'm guessing you're pretty confused, but we should try to get out of here, I'll watch your back, you watch mine?"

"Where am I?" Snake asked.

Jacob frowned. "It's... complicated, it's not 1997, that's for sure."

The creases in Snake's brow furrowed in underlying aggregation.

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh... Look, maybe it's best we get you out of here before I tell you anymore, we have to get off this station." He suggested, "You can trust me, Boss."

He eyed the dark skinned soldier suspiciously. He had not tried to kill him yet. He eased his stance and gave a curt nod.

"There was a woman's voice when I woke up."

"It was probably Miranda, she's the ranking officer for this station. We'll rendezvous with her at the shuttle bay, follow me."

Jacob slapped a new thermal clip into his Predator and moved to lead the way.

They passed through the first set of doors and hooked an immediate left to a corridor with another bulkhead down the far end. Blood stained the floor in epitaph, as the walls were blackened from gunfire.

"What happened here?" Venom Snake asked moving around the blood to save his bare feet in his bare feet.

Jacob moved swiftly, his eye trained on the door at the far end, "Damned if I know. I was getting ready for some shut eye then—bam! Bunch of explosions. Next thing I know, every damn mech in the station starts shooting at us."

They came to the bulkhead and paused in their steps, "My guess is it had to be an inside job. You'd need top security access to hack all the mechs station-wide."

Jacob counted down from three with his fingers and the doors opened as he entered. Big Boss followed.

"Contact!" Jacob shouted as four mechs stood and waltzed into view, opening fire on the duo.

They both ducked behind the nearest cover and Snake peeked around the corner to fire three rounds into the chest of the nearest mech.

Jacob lifted another high into the air and let off a round destroying its head. "Ouch!" He shouted as he gripped his ear. "Wilson, yeah loud and clear! It's Jacob, I'm with Big Boss. We're under fire by mechs just outside the service tunnels!"

Snake shot two more slugs into one of the floating mechs, bits and debris dispersed throughout the air.

"Roger that Wilson! Stay on this frequency." Jacob shouted over his Predator. It was only a moment before the last mech hit the ground with a thud, its body writhed until deactivation.

The soldier stepped out from his cover with a sigh, "Clear." He popped his thermal clip and reloaded another. "That was Wilson, our medical tech, answers directly to Miranda. We'll rendezvous with him at the network-command station."

Snake nodded as he reloaded his own thermal clip, copying Jacob's action.

"It's not far off, follow me." Jacob hopped over the air duct and led them through the next doors. They hooked an immediate right and up a flight of stairs.

"This must be a nightmare for you. Waking up in the middle of a firefight like this."

Snake shrugged, "Last time was worse. There was more fire." He said, his handgun poised on the door ahead of them.

Jacob smirked. "I can only imagine. Bet you've got some pretty intense stories. Network-control is just through here." The bulkhead opened to reveal a room thick in emergency lighting, corpses as well as destroyed mechs lay scattered about.

The man on the ground before them let out a cry of anguish. "Jacob! Down here. Bastards got me in the leg." He shouted between gritted teeth.

They approached and Jacob bent down to inspect the man's injury. "Round went right through, I'm applying some Medi-Gel."

Big Boss watched curiously as Jacob applied a thick gelatin into and over the man's wound. The wounded man exhaled as comfort took him over, and his seethed breathing eased.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob asked.

Wilson staggered to his feet with a curse between his lips and leaned against the barricade he was hiding behind for support, "I thought I could shut down the security mechs, but whoever did this fried the whole system. Completely irreversible."

Snake eyeballed the man as he spoke, his eye twitched and he kept his grip firm on the gun in his hands.

"Why do you have security mech clearance? You were in bio wing." Suspicion rang in Jacob's voice.

Wilson looked between the two men, anger and shock written on his face. "Weren't you listening? I came here to try and fix this! Besides, I was shot! How do you explain that?" He stood as straight as his leg would allow as if to demonstrate.

"It doesn't matter." Big Boss said, "We need to get out of here."

"You're right, Boss. We need to find Miranda, we can't leave her behind." Jacob agreed and stepped to the bulkhead away.

Wilson stepped unevenly after them. "Forget Miranda! She was over in D Wing, the mechs were all over that sector. There's no way she survived." He said dismissively.

Jacob spun around. "A bunch of mechs won't drop Miranda. She's alive." He said angrily.

"Then where is she? Why haven't we heard from her?" Wilson pushed past Jacob, "She's either dead or she's the traitor!"

"Quiet!" Snake shushed the both of them.

A low whirring sounded on the other side of the door, and Jacob squinted before realization befell him.

"Find cover!" He shouted as he dove behind the nearest crate.

Snake and Wilson did the same as the doors flew open and several mechs stomped into the Network-Control Room.

They opened fire on the trio, their hot rounds peppered the area between them.

"We're gonna be overwhelmed!" Wilson shouted over the gunfire.

Snake glanced over his cover and noticed the canisters in the center of the room, a giant fire warning labelled the entire side. He popped out as the mechs reloaded and fired into one of the canisters.

An explosion rang throughout the Network-Control Room, enveloping the mechs in a fiery plasma, and when the gunfire ceased, Jacob lifted his head and inspected.

"Clear!" He shouted and reloaded his Predator.

Snake stood and joined Jacob at the door as Wilson followed behind.

"That was clever thinking. Let's get out of here" The medical tech said.

He said nothing in response, only looking from him to the door as Jacob forced it open.

"It's not much farther to the shuttle bay, my money's on Miranda already being there." The soldier whispered, taking point again.

Wilson grunted as they moved out of the Network-Control Room and into the next corridor. The bulkhead to the right opened while Jacob checked the holographic interface on his left arm.

Snake assumed it to be a technology similar to that of his iDroid, data collected on some sort of interface. How Jacob used it as a navigation tool and to hack the door they needed to enter was beyond him. It made him curious as to what year they were in. He had said it was not 1997... How long was he in a coma for? How many more years did he miss while asleep?

The lights flickered with another explosion, "We haven't got much time before this place is space junk. Double time it." Jacob said, leading them down another flight of stairs. They hit a right and then a left at the end of the corridor, past a set of the doors and entered a loading bay.

"Hostiles!" Jacob shouted, moving behind the nearest pillar.

Wilson fired blindly over a guardrail, "That's the shuttle bay entrance there!" He gestured to the doors on the far right side of the loading dock.

Snake stepped out and pressed forward, firing as he walked.

His shots hit with deadly precision against the chest of nearest mech, knocking it over the barrier and falling into the deep chasm of the station before he ducked behind a crate and reloaded his pistol.

"Move!" He shouted and Jacob moved with him as a concise unit, covering and shooting systematically between each other. Their medical tech was behind them, shooting like a wild cowboy from behind his cover until they destroyed the last mech, its head exploding into a large shards of bits and pieces.

Jacob stood with a sigh of relief, "Clear. And not a moment too soon." He called, walking toward the shuttle bay entrance.

Snake followed him as Wilson jogged awkwardly ahead.

He reached the bulkhead and tapped away at the panel on the side of the door, "C'mon, we're almost at the—"

The bulkhead opened, and a woman stood before them, dressed in a white and black skin suit. Her face was suppressed rage as she stepped into view, and she stared at Wilson with icy eyes of death.

Wilson's mouth gaped, he took a step back and raised his hands defensively, "Miranda?! But you were—"

She raised her pistol and blew a hole through his head. His body hit the ground with a heavy thud and crimson pooled over the cold alloy of the floor.

Jacob ran over, his face in disbelief, "What the hell are you doing?!" He flipped Wilson's corpse over, eying the damage done.

Big Boss readied his pistol, training it on the woman cautiously.

She glanced at him unfazed, and redirected her attention to Jacob, "My job. Wilson betrayed us all. He sabotaged the security systems, killed my staff, and he would have killed us too." She said with cold demeanor.

Jacob stood, and shook his head. He did not appear convinced, "You sure about that, Miranda? We've known Wilson for years. What if you're wrong?" He asked.

She smiled a smile that told no lies. "Jacob... I'm never wrong. I thought you'd have learned that by now."

He exhaled, "I dunno... we should have brought him with us—to see what he knew."

Miranda turned around to the large shuttle and touched a panel, its wide door slid open, "Too risky. I've put too much time and effort bringing Big Boss back to life to let him get killed here and now."

Snake raised a brow, back to life? So then... he really did die after his battle with Solid Snake.

"You really think Wilson was capable of that?"

She shrugged, "Not anymore."

Jacob scratched the back of his neck, "Alright. What's our next move?"

Miranda stepped into the shuttle, "We leave." She called to him.

Jacob nodded waited for Big Boss to follow him.

Snake lowered his pistol and with a cautious step, joined him in took a seat opposite the both of them, the pistol still in his hand. The door shut and the shuttle sprang to life, and he felt his stomach hop as the ship flew through the shuttle bay and out the wide entrance of the hanger bay.

He looked out the window, and to his astonishment; outer space stared back at him.

They were in space. He rose from his seat and peered out the window, his hand on the glass as an astral sea of black and shining lights scattered the endless ebony.

"Quite a sight, huh?" Jacob asked, watching the older man stare out the window.

Snake looked out the window once more before sitting back in his seat, "What the hell is going on?" He asked.

Miranda spoke whilst tapping and sliding her other hand over the same holographic interface that Jacob had, "Before anything, we need to ask you a few questions to evaluate your condition. You were frozen for a long time."

"Frozen?" Snake asked, thoroughly confused. Had he been dead, or frozen. Which one was it?

Miranda looked up, a squint in her eye, "You didn't know you were frozen?"

He shook his head.

She lowered her arm, dismissing the orange screen with a curious gaze, "What was the year you last remember?"

"1995."

She and Jacob exchanged a look.

"The last thing you remember is Outer Heaven? Not the Zanzibar Land Incident?" She asked.

Snake shook his head. "Outer Heaven, the place where I died."

They exchanged another look before Jacob sighed and leaned forward, "Alright, look... According to what intel we could recover; You were found clinically dead in Outer Heaven; Africa, in 1995. Your body was recovered by the La-li-lu-le-lo; the Patriots, and placed in cryogenic stasis. But years later Big Boss resurfaced in Zanzibar Land, and you were put down by The Legendary Soldier; Solid Snake, again."

He felt a pinprick of pride in his gut. Legendary Soldier? Solid Snake had proved to be better than the Legend himself? He knew that Solid Snake was not his son, not really in any sort of capacity... but in the mind of Big Boss, he felt a flair of pride for the boy.

Eli could not have put Big Boss down. What he saw in David during their battle, was a desperate will to live, to go home the survivor. With Eli, he saw in him only an ego, and a rage that blinded him from thinking clearly. A savagery and immaturity in him that drove him to inferiority.

Jacob continued,"All information on you after that disappears. Our assumption to your reappearance is that of a body double, acting in your name and appearance, pretending to be you in order to use your influence for his own means, but the body went missing and remained hidden from any or all records we could find. We recovered your cryo-capsule in America, two years ago; Seventeen levels below the Pentagon, and brought you to where you woke up."

Miranda interjected, "You were the basis of our project, codenamed; The Lazarus Project. We were to bring you back to life, as you were before your clinical death."

"Boss," Jacob paused, "You've been asleep for a hundred and ninety years."

"..."

The only sound that echoed around them was that of the low hum the shuttle emitted. Venom Snake leaned forward and ran a hand over his beard, unable to find words. He was shocked, sure... but it didn't strike him as hard as he assumed it would. Maybe it was because he had woken from a coma years later before. Or maybe it was because a hundred and ninety years didn't seem real enough. Though, it did explain how they were in space, wielding weapons far more advanced than he had ever seen.

After a moment, he looked between the two. "... 2185?"

They nodded, and Miranda crossed a leg over the other, "Boss, we need your help. The Patriots are gone now, but there is something far worse happening. The whole galaxy is at stake." She said, "We'll rendezvous at the nearest Cerberus facility, our leader the Illusive Man, would like to speak to you."

Big Boss leaned back and stared out the window. The galaxy? A hundred and ninety years into the future? He had been positive his mission finished after his battle with the Son of Big Boss. It was a failure, but his role complete nonetheless. The phantom would finally walk on to the other side, a warrior's death... And that he would get to see her again...

His head rested back against the hard wall, it vibrated against his cranium, reminiscent of a gunship he missed quite dearly. His bare back and feet were icy against the cold alloy of the shuttle, and he shuddered as the cold touched his bones, grounding him in reality.

He wished he knew what had happened to Big Boss. It could not have ended in Zanzibar Land, he was much more resourceful than that... he must have survived, though the voice in the back of his mind spoke otherwise.

Solid Snake had been an excellent soldier when he had fought him, far more skilled than any normal rookie. He was not green, and after their battle in Outer Heaven, David had become a real soldier. He had been hardened, his resolve tested when Big Boss was the enemy. Snake pondered curiously what had become of Solid Snake then, if he lived a life free of combat after, or if he fell into the bitter life of battle that he was destined for.

His eye fell shut, and he lost himself in the vibration of the shuttle.

Jacob watched as the older man slipped into sleep across from them and leaned back with a sigh.

"We really should ask him some more questions." Miranda said, closing her omni-tool and leaning back also. She eyed the man in front of her, and observed his whole body; from the jagged shrapnel in his forehead, to the prosthetic on his arm, and to the scars that covered his face. The man should be retired or dead, about a hundred and ninety years ago, the way he looked, but he proved himself capable still, armed with only a pistol and nothing else.

"Let him sleep, Miranda. The man had one hell of a wake up call." Jacob countered.

She yielded to him and shut her own eyes, "The Illusive Man will be satisfied with his performance at the very least. Just as; if not more talented than Commander Shepard was."


	3. Chapter II: A World Called, Catastrophe

**Chapter II: A World Called, Catastrophe**

An hour had passed since Big Boss, Miranda and Jacob arrived at the space station.

The old veteran sat in the medbay as he pulled the boots the nurse had given him onto his feet. They had poked and prodded him, injected him and tested him on dozens of tests that he was not familiar with. He had also learned that after a hundred and ninety years had passed; his combat medic training seemed obsolete in the face of medical expertise of 2185.

Medi-Gel was a medicinal achievement in the world of medical science and warfare, as it could be applied to any surface wound; burn, cuts, bullet wounds, it even numbed and held broken bones in place. He felt he could have saved many more lives if it had been developed during his time.

Once he was fully dressed, he glanced at himself in the mirror, the outfit was comprised of military fatigues; a shirt, matching trousers and boots. It was a little tight across the chest, but it beat hospital scrubs any day.

He looked into his face and realized that he had not really aged between the time he woke up in Cyprus, and the day he fell in Outer Heaven. He wrinkled around the eyes, and his hair was only a bit greyer compared to the older Big Boss. When he thought about it, there had been at least a ten year age gap between the both of them.

Before he could dwell any longer on the thought, Jacob had entered the medbay, saluting at the door.

"Big Boss, the Illusive Man is ready when you are." He greeted.

Big Boss nodded and followed the soldier out of the medbay.

They moved through the station together, passing other service men and women who stared with faces of shock and awe. They spoke whispers of his survival, of his legacy, of his exploits, and of Solid Snake.

"What happened to Solid Snake?" Big Boss asked as they passed through a long hall.

"The gist of it is; The La-li-lu-le-lo—or rather, The Patriots, were in control—of everything. Everything was documented, ID'd and kept tight under their thumb. The war economy boomed in the 2010's, PMC's became the fighters on the battlefield, bipedal tanks everywhere." They stepped into an elevator and Jacob crossed his arms, leaning against the glass wall.

"Solid Snake spent a lot of time destroying Metal Gears all over the world and trying to find and put down The Patriots, and in 2014; he succeeded. The Patriots were gone."

"How?" Big Boss asked.

Jacob shrugged. "Beats me, but I know that in 2014, he and his partner Emmerich—"

"Emmerich?"

"Yeah, Hal Emmerich. He went by the codename, Otacon, when he and Solid Snake took out The Patriots." Big Boss smirked a little at the irony.

"Somethin' funny?" Jacob asked.

Snake shook his head. "I knew his father."

The elevator stopped at their floor and Jacob led them through a large hall, much as an office building with glass doors paneled the walls instead of the massive bulkheads.

"Most of our tech is based on his designs; the ceramics and computers in our armor, stealth camo, our Atlas bipedal mechs, all of it, if not most, is based on his work. Or what we could recover of it. Emmerich destroyed all his personal data files at the defeat of the Patriots."

"Anyway, they attack The Patriots, who are led by Liquid Ocelot."

Snake frowned and stared at the alloy floor of the lift. _Ocelot... led The Patriots?_ Back in '95, he was their informant, telling Big Boss everything that Cypher was up to that he could spare. But to join them? Something was amiss.

Jacob continued. "It ends in a big bad battle on this submarine, and Snake beats Liquid in hand to hand combat. Turns out, The Patriots were a group of twelve guys that had died hundreds of years ago and that Liquid Ocelot was their legacy left in charge. And after that, The Patriots were gone, Snake and Emmerich stopped the control of information. Many PMC's disbanded, and many governments were left in financial ruin. It took years before things returned back to the way things worked with The Patriots in control. And even then, technological development hit a brick wall. " The elevator came to a halt and Jacob led Snake into a large loading bay.

The story had seemed off—way off. Snake knew what The Patriots were before they became The Patriots. He knew that a man by the name of Zero was behind it all, and he was in control of everything. He knew that Skull Face had a part in the man's condition that led to the formation of The Patriots. He held back his questions and remarks. If this was the past that Jacob knew, odds are everyone thought that was the way it happened.

The large loading bay they entered was empty except for one person. Miranda stood in front of a console, tapping away at the holographic screen. She did not look up when they entered.

"That's about as much as we know. Well... that's all I know anyway, I was never much for history." Jacob finished.

Snake nodded and continued to follow him as he led him across the room to a stairwell leading down to a bulkhead. They stood at the door when Jacob turned to Big Boss.

"The Illusive Man is inside, stand in the circle in the middle of the room, and you'll be patched through to him via quantum entanglement."

Snake nodded, and entered the next room. It was dark, save for an orange hue and the light of the hallway behind him. He saw the circle stood in the center. It emitted a low hum and a soft whir as he was surrounded by an orange hue.

Shortly after, he was not looking into the same room as he was in. A new brightness shone in the room opposite him, a star that silhouetted a seated man with glowing eyes. The man was well dressed, he sat cross-legged and inhaled from a cigarette, exhaling deeply.

"Big Boss. It's an honour." He said coolly.

Snake stood, impassive and stoic, he bowed his head ever so slightly in silent greeting.

The man took another drag from his cigarette and tapped it into an ashtray on the armrest of his chair.

"Allow me to cut to the chase; we're at war, Big Boss. No one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack. Our place in the universe is more fragile than we'd like to think." Another drag.

"And that one man—one very specific man, might be all that stands between humanity, and the greatest threat of our brief existence."

Snake listened, he watched the Illusive Man's mannerisms; how he took a drag of his smoke almost immediately after the last and his eyes illuminated the shadows in a glowing cerulean.

"I'm talking about an enemy far greater than that of Patriots and Zeros, Big Boss." He said.

Snake raised a brow. So he knew about Zero? Did he know about everything? The Illusive Man nodded as if reading his mind, as if he knew everything about him. Could he have known about the other Big Boss as well? The _real_ Big Boss?

"I'm talking about an enemy on the galactic scale." He continued and snubbed his cigarette as it burned at the filter and lit another. "Reapers, Boss."

"While you've been in cryo, humanity has expanded into the stars, and in the process, came in contact with alien life forms via the Mass Relay Network. We've established and joined in their galactic society. In fact, it's all thanks to Commander Shepard, we have a seat on their council."

"But while they squabble over politics, margins and logistics, colonies have been disappearing. Human colonies. They believe it's nothing. We believe it's someone working for the Reapers. We just don't know who, yet." He said as he stood from his seat, an arm neatly tucked behind him as he took another long drag.

Snake shifted on his feet and stared at the ground. "What's your angle?" He asked.

The Illusive Man exhaled. "We—as in, Cerberus, are committed to the advancement and preservation of humanity. If the Reapers are targeting us, trying to wipe us out, Cerberus will stop them. If we wait for politicians or the Alliance to act... no more colonies will be left. Hundreds of thousands of human colonists have vanished. Nobody's paying attention because it's random and the attacks occur in remote locations. I don't know why they're targeting humanity, but it's probably because of the late Commander Shepard."

"Who is this Commander Shepard?" Snake asked, lifting his gaze from the floor. This was the second time he had mentioned this person… and they must have been very important to him, for a look of forlorn swept over the Illusive Man's face.

He lowered his head as he inhaled deeply.

"Commander Allison Jane Shepard. Next to yourself and Solid Snake, she was our paragon. Immensely skilled, she carried with her an aura of brilliance, like a diamond in the mud. Her charisma was unmatched, she could talk herself out of most situations without ever placing a finger on the trigger. She completed the impossible a dozen times over."

"… She died, two years ago. Her ship was destroyed over the planet Alchera, she went down with the ship." The Illusive Man's posture was mournful, if only for a moment, it was a brief look into his admiration for the woman.

He quickly regained his composure. "Which leads us to you, Big Boss. You're the best. You're unique, you've experienced things no one else has, and have overcome odds as a sole operative no one can come close to. You're the best, not just in your abilities, or what you've experienced, but in what you represent."

"You're a legend. You stood for humanity—for the future once. You led a nation who adored you, died for you. You're more than a soldier—you're a symbol. People see you, and they're not scared of what's to come, they followed you into hell without looking back."

A Legend... Snake returned his gaze to the floor. "Humanity?" He whispered, his voice tinted with consideration.

The Illusive dabbed his cigarette. "If you don't believe me… how about seeing it for yourself first." He turned around, and returned to his chair, tapping on an interface by the arm rest.

A holographic screen appeared before Snake, it showed a planet covered in lush green and thick clouds, an ocean and heavy rock formation. The image centered on where a series of building structures appeared among the landscape.

"I have a shuttle ready to take you to Freedom's Progress, the latest colony to be abducted. Miranda and Jacob will brief you."

Snake was quiet as he weighed his options. What would Big Boss do? They had spent their lives fighting Cipher, to prevent the control of information under a single entity, to free humanity from control and to exist within their own bounds. He thought long and hard.

Kaz... he would choose to help, just as they did in MSF, just as they did with Diamond Dogs. His old XO would often talk about revenge and money, how Diamond Dogs was a business as much as it was a family, but the man had a big heart underneath that hardened shell. Beneath all that rage was a good man.

They had not left on the best of terms… in fact, when he had told Miller that he was leaving to take over Outer Heaven, and that he was bringing the Dogs with him… Kaz had promised he would guide either of the sons of Big Boss to kill him. He had raised them to be men who surpassed Big Boss himself, to beat the phantom of his former friend.

Snake could not blame him though. The decision came after he fully realized that he was indeed not Big Boss. With both his new and old memories, he made the decision to keep being the Boss, to serve as the Legend… and that meant abandoning his friend and taking his Dogs.

He had never felt such regret as he did when he told him he was taking over Outer Heaven… he wished he had stayed with Diamond Dogs, continued building their own nation, one that rivaled governments, and even Outer Heaven itself.

The Illusive Man tapped his cigarette again and spoke when Snake said nothing. "Find any clues you can. Who's abducting the colonies—do they have any connection to the Reapers? Anything to give us an edge." He inhaled deeply, and exhaled just as so.

"I brought you back, Big Boss. It's up to you to do the rest." The Illusive Man said as he tapped a button on his arm rest.

The visual dimmed, and Snake watched as the orange holograph disappeared around him. He turned away and headed back up the stairs.

Miranda and Jacob stood at consoles separate from each other and Miranda spoke first when Snake appeared.

"The Illusive Man is very impressed with you. I'm eager to see if you can live up to his expectations on this mission." She said as she peered up from the interface.

"I hope it'll be worth the trouble. A lot of people lost their lives on that station." She slid her finger over the interface, dragging an image and blowing up the map to be larger. Snake felt she did not like him much.

"Let's go over the briefing. Freedom's Progress—a typical human settlement in the Terminus Systems. They had a small military force for protection, supplemented by standard mechs and security drones." She shifted through a few images to show him.

"Average in almost every way, really. Completely unremarkable... until the disappearance. Until we get down there, we should find only a lot of empty buildings and one giant mystery. We'll land at the civilian loading dock, move through the apartments, looking for evidence toward what might have caused the disappearance."

"Simple Recon work." Jacob said.

Snake eyed the screen and followed the path Miranda laid out with her finger, imprinting it into his memory.

"You'll be in charge, we'll follow your lead, Big Boss." She said.

He nodded affirmatively.

"Now, before we get going" Miranda gestured to Jacob. "Jacob, see that the Boss is outfitted—omni-tool, armor, translator, weapons—the works. We'll meet up at the shuttle in half an hour."

She closed the screen and walked away, moving past them to the elevator.

Jacob stepped over to Big Boss. "Alright, let's get you fitted. Lots of new toys for you to try out."

Big Boss sat in the shuttle opposite Miranda and Jacob. He stared at the ground as he breathed slowly and calmly, letting his adrenaline settle and his mind become clear and resolute. His weapon sat butt first between his legs, held casually in his hands.

Jacob checked his shotgun over. "How's the armor holding up, Boss?" He asked.

Snake snapped himself out of his daze and looked over his get up. Jacob had called it Cerberus Ajax Armor. It amplified his shield output, and the suits onboard computer increased its recharge speed. He'd also never be out of spare thermal clips with all the pockets that lined the armor's chest and hips—that's what the soldier had told him anyway. It might as well had been in another language with all the technical jargon he sputtered.

He gripped the M-96 Mattock assault rifle by the barrel, giving it a once over with his eye; it was heavy, but not more than the typical rifles he was used to. He also armed himself with an M-6 Carnifex, at the suggestion of Jacob. From what he could tell, firearms remained fundamentally the same in the future, point and squeeze the trigger.

He offered an affirmative nod to the man. The Ajax Armor was a little bulky and tight over his frame, but it reminded him of his old Battle Dress, and when he thought of it like that, it was not entirely all that difficult to move around in.

Miranda crossed her leg over the other and gripped her Locust in her hands. "We should be there shortly, Boss. The Illusive Man put us under your command. Do you have any orders?" She asked.

Snake shifted and considered. "Did you find anything at the other colonies?" He asked.

Jacob shook his head. "Nothing. No signs of attack, no bodies. Not even a trace of unusual genetic material to give us a clue. They just disappeared, and we left with no target to go after."

Snake nodded. "Keep your eyes open. We need anything that could get us a fix on who they are."

"Understood, Boss. With luck, we'll find something that was missed at the other colonies." Miranda said.

"Then we can find who's behind it and get some payback." Jacob agreed.

The shuttle hit atmo with a fiery streak like a stroke of red and orange on a canvas of black, and they narrowed in on the landing site. With a thud, the shuttle eased on the dock, and the door opened to reveal a chilly world.

Snake stepped out first and jumped down to the concrete below. He breathed fresh air for the first time since waking, and a cool breeze blew over his face like a mist of relief. He took an inspecting glance around and frowned when he suddenly found it a little hard to breathe, his stomach churned in itself and his muscles were tight and heavier too.

Miranda dropped down beside him. "Your body is getting used to the new atmosphere and gravity, it should pass in a few moments. The shots we gave you on station should keep the discomfort at bay." She informed, reading his face.

Snake nodded and readied the Mattock in his hands. He raised his hand over his shoulder and spun it in a circle; motioning for Miranda and Jacob move to tighten in on him, they tapped his shoulder to signify they were ready and he moved first. He led them to the door ahead and it slid open to in response to their presence. When first he entered, the lights flickered to life and displayed a cabin seemingly frozen in time. Plates of food sat at tables unfinished. Mugs sat filled and unattended to. A stove was left sizzling.

Jacob was the first to speak up as they entered. "Looks like everyone just got up and left right in the middle of dinner."

"The room's clear, no sign or trace of what caused the disappearance." Miranda said as she scanned with her omni-tool.

Snake gestured for them to continue on and they exited out the far side of the cabin. They proceeded down into the main entrance of the quarry, and with a close inspection, they saw that pieces of machinery—tools and items looked as if they had been set down and left behind.

Miranda was the first to speak. "Strange... no bodies, no structural damage, and no sign of battle or struggle."

Snake led them to the heavy gate on the opposite wall. He motioned for Miranda to cover the right side of the door as he covered the left, and for Jacob to open the door on his count. The two readied their positions and Snake counted down from three with his fingers. The soldier slammed his fist on the interface and the gate fell open with a screech. As Big Boss poked his head out, gunfire rattled against the wall he used as cover.

Jacob shrunk low by Miranda as she leaned over him to get a good shot. "Contact!" She shouted and fired her Locust.

The three of them opened fire on a group of mechs across the way, destroying one in the process. She could hear the pattering of metal legs against the concrete floor.

"FENRIS mechs!" She shouted as a robot on four legs charged at Snake.

Big Boss fired his Mattock in a series of double taps and the quadruped stumbled and rolled before it exploded into bits and pieces.

"Move up!" He called, shooting at the mechs that exited the second building furthest from them and joined the firefight.

Jacob and Miranda pushed forward, taking cover behind the nearest guard rail and crate.

Snake followed, and dove under cover beside Miranda. They concentrated their gunfire as Jacob used his biotics to lift one of the FENRIS mechs while Miranda used her own biotics to blast it over the edge and into the chasm below.

Shortly after all gunfire ceased and Jacob lifted his head out of cover. When it was not blown off, he stood and reloaded his shotgun. "Clear."

Snake and Miranda did the same, standing and reloading their weapons as they moved onward.

"Security systems were disabled at the other colonies." Miranda had said as they regrouped and proceeded into the second building furthest away.

"Those mechs shouldn't have been hostile. They should have recognized us as human." Jacob added.

Miranda agreed. "Someone reprogrammed them to attack on sight. We're not alone here."

Big Boss readied to enter the next building. "Stay sharp." He said and moved in.

Beds lay unused. An apple sat uneaten in the middle of the floor.

Snake picked it up with his bionic hand, and held it up eye level.

Miranda inspected it with her omni tool. "Now, that's unusual... There's genetic material that doesn't relate to human or any other known species."

"Bag and tag it." Snake said, offering it to either of them.

Jacob took it in his hand and delicately placed the apple in a plastic bag, using his omni tool to decompress and seal it. He placed it in his pack and they pressed on to the next area.

They engaged more mechs and made quick work of them, and as they gathered outside the next door, muffled voices argued from the inside.

"Survivors?" Miranda inquired.

Snake motioned for them to form up behind him. They stood to the left of the door, hand on shoulder in a line. Once in position, Snake signaled and they tapped their readiness. Snake entered first quickly, clearing the room right side first as Jacob followed by clearing room left side after him and Miranda covered the center, her Locust aimed at three figures that huddled over a terminal.

The three figures in full bodysuits shot up, training their rifles on Snake and company. "Stop right there!" One of them shouted and stepped forward with his rifle poised.

Another stood between them, her hands raised to stop them from shooting each other. "Prazza! You said you'd let me handle this." She shouted, placing a hand on the barrel of the masked man's rifle. She directed herself to Big Boss.

He saw no face in her visor, only a pair of luminescent eyes through a thick purple fog. "Please, we're here in peace." Her voice was soft, young and otherworldly. The light on the chin of her mask flickered when she spoke.

He noticed how she and the others only possessed three digits on their hands, and how their knees bent awkwardly, resembling that of a bird's.

The man she halted, Prazza, raised his rifle again. "I'm not taking any chances with Cerberus Operatives!"

The woman in purple lifted her hand again. "Put those weapons down!" She ordered.

The man did so reluctantly, but only after a moment of hesitation.

She turned her eyes back to Snake with a sigh. "What is Cerberus doing here?" She asked politely.

Snake lowered his weapon and the others followed. Snake gestured to Jacob, who spoke for him. "We're here investigating these attacks on human colonies."

Prazza raised his rifle again, and so did Miranda and Jacob. "You'll pardon us for not taking you at your word, Cerberus." He sneered.

Miranda stepped forward this time, her brow furrowed. "We're well within our rights to investigate attacks on a human colony. I'd like to know what quarians are doing here."

The woman in purple, turned back to Prazza. "Weapons down! Whatever's going on here, I don't think we need another fight."

The man was resistant, and Big Boss almost shot him right then. But Prazza relented, lowering his rifle along with the other two behind him.

The woman in purple sighed annoyingly at his stubbornness. "One of our people was here on Pilgrimage. His name is Veetor. We came to find him." She said.

Snake eased his trigger finger, holding his Mattock in casual repose. "Could he tell us what happened?" He asked.

The woman nodded. "That's the hope. We've seen him, but he might not be in the best state to answer questions. He was injured and—ah, nervous around—"

"She means that he was unstable. Combine that with damage to his suits Co2 scrubbers, and an infection from an open-air exposure, and he's likely delirious." Prazza interjected.

The woman nodded. "When he saw us landing, he hid in a warehouse on the far side of town. We suspect he also programmed the mechs to attack anything that moved." She finished.

Snake considered their next possible action. The safest, as well as fastest way to deal with this was cooperation. He related it to a mission from his MSF days, where they and a group of guerrilla fighters joined up to bring down their familiar target.

"He's our only lead to find out what happened here. We should work together to find him." He said.

The woman in purple nodded. "Good idea. You'll need two teams to get past the drones, anyway."

Prazza shook his head. "Now we're working with Cerberus?" His voice seethed.

The woman stepped toward the man, a display of a flaring temper, of authority. "No, Prazza, you're working for me. If you can't follow orders, go wait on the ship."

The man turned away, as a child throwing a tantrum would.

She turned back to Snake. "Head for the warehouse through the center of the colony. We'll circle around the far side and draw off some of the drones to clear you a path."

Big Boss nodded. "Patch into our frequency, keep in radio contact."

The woman agreed. "Will do. Good luck, we'll see you on the far side." She spun around and the quarians left, readying their weapons.

When they disappeared, Big Boss led Jacob and Miranda through the open door and down two levels when the woman's voice played over the radio.

"Be careful, there's a squad of security drones up ahead." She informed.

"Thanks for the warning. We'll take care of them." Jacob said as Snake gestured for them to close in. They entered the next building, passing a dismantled mech laying by the beds. Everything was still in this room, just as the others had been. One of the faucets still poured over dirty dishes. Sheets rustled in the breeze from the window.

They exited and met the drones the woman in purple had spoken of and finished them off with deadly efficiency. The group moved onto the next building, passing through the darkness until the woman's voice sounded again.

"Prazza and his squad rushed on ahead! I told them to wait, but they wouldn't listen! They want to find Veetor and take him away before you get here!" She shouted.

Miranda clicked her tongue. "We should have expected this."

Jacob huffed. "Come on, we can still catch them."

"Double time." Big Boss said, moving past the exit and down the steps two more levels till they were on the ground. Three more drones appeared from the air, and were quickly dispatched between the three of them.

The woman's voice spoke over the gunfire in the background. "Hurry! We're inside the loading docks. Veetor's reprogrammed the heavy mech. It's tearing Prazza's squad apart. Get your squad into cover and I'll open the loading bay doors." Another gate stood tall on the high wall.

Miranda spoke up, pointing to either side of the door. "We'll take cover by the doors. Boss, you take point."

"Go." He ordered and they sprang into position.

As they moved into cover, they could hear the sound of heavy gunfire and explosions on the opposite side, as well as the sound of deathly screams.

"We're in position." Jacob informed. It was a second before the doors opened and they watched as the quarian troops fell like leaves, one of which was stomped on by the giant mech. Big Boss felt a sense of familiarity.

"Move in!" He shouted, opening fire on the bipedal machine. It turned its attention toward them, firing a rocket in their general direction. He dove and the rocket struck the building behind them.

Jacob called over the machinegun fire. "That mech's got heavy armor plating all around, those quarians never stood a chance!" Another missile whistled by.

"This is gonna be one tough son of a bitch to take down!" Miranda shouted.

Snake peeked over his cover, watching as it fired blindly in their direction. Its movements were rudimentary, basic and unstable. ZEKE had been in better operation than this mech was. His eye saw the weak point, rusted in the lower joints.

"I'm going to flank it! Keep it busy." He ordered Miranda and Jacob. They nodded and fired their weapons.

Snake dove from his cover to the building to his right.

The woman in purple was there, overseeing one of the injured quarians.

He gave her a swift nod before reaching to his side and pulled out two sticky M75 grenades from his belt. Setting his Mattock down against the wall, Big Boss and peered around the corner to see the mech closing in on Jacob's position.

He charged at the mech, ignoring the whistle of bullets that flew past him from Miranda and Jacob.

He hit the armed switch and stuck the first grenade to the tract of the mech's right leg and then climbed its back swiftly as it turned to engage him. He tucked the second grenade into the crevice of the joints that connected its head and neck.

He pushed off, ducking as an arm swung to send him flying, its machine gun fired wildly in his direction.

Big Boss dove between its legs, running and rolling behind the nearest cover.

Gunfire rattled off the ground at his feet and a rocket flew past his head as he ducked.

The first grenade detonated, blowing its leg in half. It stumbled and buckled under its own weight, tumbling over onto its side.

The next grenade exploded, exposing a wide hole of circuitry. The machine jolted, its machine gun fired wildly into the air as it tried to lift itself.

"Here!" The woman in purple shouted to Snake. She tossed him a weapon.

Snake caught it and gave it a quick once over, not sure what it was until he read the writing on the side that read _ML-77_. The design was foreign to him, but he'd take the chance. Snake tucked the surprisingly light launcher under his arm and aimed the weapon like a grenade launcher.

The screen above the thermal clip blinked thrice and a note shrilled which he understood as a lock on. The gun fired, shooting out a missile at the fallen mech and struck it with such force to create a concussive blast and violent explosion. Shrapnel and bits of the mech showered the air with metal and ceramic.

Big Boss sighed a breath of relief as the gunfire ceased, and all that remained was a molten husk of the heavy mech, its body twitched and sparked. He lowered the launcher and handed it back to the woman.

She bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you for that. I'll tend to the wounded here, go find Veetor." She turned back to the building and disappeared around the corner.

Miranda and Jacob converged on Snake, and the dark skinned soldier whistled.

"Pretty ballsy, Boss. One misstep and you'd be a pancake right now." He said in admiration.

Big Boss smirked as he picked up his Mattock and said nothing.

Miranda pointed to the building ahead of them. "Veetor is probably at the back of the loading bay, it's where the controls for security access probably are as well."

They climbed the ramp that led to the entrance, Big Boss took point and the others followed closely behind him as he entered the main building.

They were greeted with a darkened room, an orange hue from nine screens in the far back silhouetted the quarian whispering to himself on the far side. He tapped his fingers along an interface with feverish desperation, with quivering fear.

Snake stepped in, lowering his Mattock and gestured for the other two to do the same.

The quarian whispered to himself, his breaths hitched in his throat as he sobbed inaudibly. "Have to hide. No monsters, no swarms, no-no-no-no-no..."

Snake stood behind him, and carefully addressed the unstable quarian. "Veetor?"

Veetor shook his head and continued to tap away at the interface, his head darting from screen to screen. "No, Veetor. Not here. Swarms can't find. Monsters coming. Have to hide." He said absently.

Jacob took a step forward. "Nobody's going to hurt you, Veetor." He reassured.

Veetor did not respond, didn't even breathe a breath between his rambling whispers.

Miranda sighed and opened her omni tool, guiding her hand along the image of the screens and the monitors went blank.

Veetor inhaled sharply. "No-no-no-no..." He spun in his chair to see Big Boss. He was quiet for a second, standing on shaky legs, his fingers twiddled nervously.

"You're human. Where... How come they didn't find you?" He asked.

"Who didn't find us?" Snake inquired.

Veetor shook his head. "The... the monsters. The swarms. They took everyone." He whispered with fear thick in his voice.

Miranda spoke next. "Why didn't the colonists fight back, Veetor? What happened?"

Veetor shook his head. "You don't know. You didn't see. But, I see everything." He tapped a button on the interface and the screens returned to life.

The image was grainy across the screens, but they could see everything. Swarms of insects flew in and out of frame, creatures dragged human colonists to and fro and placed them in levitating boxes.

"What the hell is that?" Jacob asked, pointing at the bipedal aliens.

They guided levitating boxes across a narrow pathway and carried rifles of curious shape with them. Miranda froze the image and looked closer. "My god... I think it's a Collector." She whispered in awe.

Snake looked closer too. "Collector?"

"They're a species from somewhere beyond the Omega 4 relay." She informed.

"Only a few people have ever seen one in person." Jacob added, watching the screen intently as the footage continued.

"They usually work through intermediaries, like slavers or hired mercenaries. If they're involved with the Reapers somehow, it could explain what happened to the colonies." Miranda continued, uploading the security footage to her omni tool.

Jacob finished. "The Collectors have advanced technology. They could have a weapon that disables an entire settlement all at once."

Veetor pointed toward the lower screen, to a swarm of insects flying into focus. "The seeker swarms. No one can hide. The seekers find you, freeze you, then the monsters take you away." He said with harrow, and pointed at the larger bipedal bugs.

Big Boss looked at the shaken man. "Why didn't they take you?" He asked.

Veetor shook his head. "Swarms didn't find me. Monsters didn't know I was here." He answered.

"The Collectors aren't known for being careless. Maybe his enviro-suit kept him from showing up on their sensors." Jacob reasoned.

Miranda interjected, "Or they were using technology specifically designed to detect humans. Only human colonies have been hit."

"And the swarms?" Big Boss gestured to the screens at the clouds of black that flew by.

Veetor followed his gaze to the monitors. "It's how they find you. Seeker clouds. Machines like tiny insects. They go everywhere. They find you, then they sting you—freeze you."

Miranda crossed her arms and peered at the monitors in thought. "Sounds like miniature probes, maybe. Find victims, then immobilize them with a stasis field or nerve toxin." Miranda suggested.

Big Boss nodded and turned his head back to Veetor. "What happened next, Veetor."

The quarian pointed to the bipedal bugs as they guided the levitating boxes off screen. "The monsters took the people onto the ship, and then they left. The ship flew away. But they'll be back for me... no one escapes!" He said, his hands shaking violently, his breathing uneasy and his voice debilitating.

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck. "I think that's probably all we're getting out of him, Boss."

Veetor shook his head. "I studied them. The monsters. The swarms. I recorded them with my omni-tool. Lots of readings. Electro-magnetic. Dark energy." He said, pulling up his omni-tool and shuffling through files on it.

Miranda turned to Big Boss. "We need to get this data to The Illusive Man. Grab the quarian and call the shuttle to come pick us up."

The door behind them opened as the quarian in purple appeared. "What? Veetor is injured! He needs treatment, not an interrogation!" She voiced angrily.

Jacob raised his hands up defensively. "We won't hurt him. We just need to see if he knows anything else. He'll be returned unharmed."

"Your people tried to betray us once already. If we give him to you, we'll never get the intel we need." Miranda added.

The quarian huffed. "Prazza was an idiot, and he and his men paid for it. You're welcome to take Veetor's omni-tool data, but please. Just let me take him." She turned to Snake.

He could not see her face, but her body language pleaded for him to listen to her, to see her side and let her take Veetor home. He looked to Veetor—the quarian was quiet, his hands tangled together fright and his breathing heavy and haggard.

He looked at Miranda over his shoulder and shook his head. "Veetor's traumatized. He needs medical assistance. She'll give us the data and take him home. That'll be the end of it." He said with the soft air of finality.

Miranda nodded, though he could see she bit her tongue. "Understood, Boss." She said affirmatively.

The quarian in purple breathed easy. "Thank you. I'm glad you're the one giving orders." She eyed him closely.

"Who are you, anyway?"

"Big Boss."

"Big Boss?" Her voice was toned with amusement. "I'm Tali'Zorah vas Neema. If I find anything that can help you, I'll let you know. Good luck out there." She said, stepping to stand beside Veetor.

Snake nodded and moved to the entrance, leading Jacob and Miranda out of the dark room.

"We're ready for exfil." Jacob announced over his radio.

The shuttle arrived, and shortly after, Freedom's Progress became a ghost of light in the distance.


	4. Chapter III: Bridge of Sighs

**Chapter III: Bridge of Sighs  
**

 _A/N: I wanna thank everybody for the views, follows and favourites! I didn't think many people were as interested in a Metal Gear/Mass Effect as I was. As for all the questions and feedback, I'm planning on keeping this very Mass Effect, with small Metal Gear inclusions, and there is a very good and believable reason in the lore I'm building to combine the two universes._

 _I love the feedback! Keep asking your questions, and addressing your concerns, and I'll try to address them within the story. Thanks for reading! - AThousandSuns_

* * *

Big Boss stood in front of the image of The Illusive Man, who sat before him in his casual repose.

"Boss, good work on Freedom's Progress. The quarians forwarded their findings from Veetor's debriefing. No new data, but it's a surprising olive branch, given our history."

"You and I have different methods, but I can't argue with your results." He said as he tapped his cigarette over an ashtray.

He added, "Diplomacy is great when it works, but difficult when everyone already perceives you as a threat. I'm sure you above all else know that. Regardless, you confirmed the Collectors are behind the abductions."

"You knew?" Snake questioned.

"I had my suspicions, but I needed proof. The Collectors are enigmatic at best. They periodically travel to the Terminus Systems, looking to gather seemingly unimportant items or specimens. Usually in exchange for their technology. When their transactions are complete, they disappear as quickly as they arrived; back beyond the unmapped Omega 4 relay. Until now, we've had no evidence of direct aggression by the Collectors."

Snake knew the man was hiding something. He did not like it at all. "How do you know these Reapers are involved?"

The Illusive Man snuffed his cigarette and took a glass of liquor into his hands. "The patterns are there, buried in the data. The Council and the Earth Alliance want to believe the Reaper threat died with Sovereign; the Reaper that Commander Shepard destroyed. But I know better. I won't wait until the Reapers are on the march. We need to take the fight to them."

He pointed to Snake. "You, need to fight them. You're the only one who can."

Big Boss was quiet, he ran a hand over his face with a tired sigh. There was so much he did not understand. So many new variables, that questioning them only brought on more questions.

The Illusive Man conjured a screen, tapping and sliding his fingers across it as he spoke.

"I've compiled a list of soldiers, scientists, and mercenaries. You'll get dossiers on the best of them. Finding them and convincing them to work with you could be a challenge… but you're a natural leader, Boss."

"I'll continue to track the Collectors. When they make their next appearance, I'll notify you and your team. Be ready."

Snake crossed his arms over his chest. "Before that—before any of this—I'm going to need an entire history recap. From Outer Heaven, to the death of Solid Snake."

"The real history." He added with weightiness.

The Illusive Man agreed with zero hesitation. "Done. I'll forward it personally to you after our debriefing. I'll include a dossier on Commander Shepard, and what she discovered of the Reaper threat. Full disclosure."

He took a drink from his glass. "Before you go, Boss. First, head to the space station Omega, and find Mordin Solus. He's a brilliant salarian scientist. Our intelligence suggests he may know how to counteract the Collectors' paralyzing seeker swarms."

"The other thing; you'll need more than a shuttle to get around so I'm giving you a ship to take command of. She's one of a kind. "

"Good luck, Boss." The Illusive Man finished, and tapped on the interface over the armrest, and the image of The Illusive Man disappeared.

The orange hue faded and Snake turned to leave the room where Miranda stood waiting. "So, you'll help us?" She asked.

Big Boss nodded, walking up the steps beside her.

"I'll show you to the ship. She's truly a piece of work. Almost as expensive as yourself." She mused.

They walked in unison through the hall to the elevator. "No doubt you have a lot of questions. Anything you'd like to know?" She asked.

Big Boss did not know where to start. What are Reapers? Who is Commander Shepard? Why him? Why did they not cryo-freeze Solid Snake before his death? Was there no one else that could have taken on this mission? What did The Illusive Man see in him? There was so much going on, that he could not find a single topic to start from. If he was being truthful to himself, he did not want to even think about it right now.

"Tell me about yourself." He asked, the words slipped from his lips as he reclined his head against the wall of the elevator.

Miranda smirked. "Well, I guess that's fair, I've spent the last two years learning everything there is to know about you." She propped herself against the wall opposite him.

"You should probably know that I've had extensive genetic modification. Not by decision, but I make the most of it. It's one of the reasons the Illusive Man handpicked me. I'm very good at just about anything I choose to do." She said, with confidence in her voice.

Snake raised a brow. "Genetic modification?" He mused.

"Yes. My reflexes, my strength, even my looks —they're all designed to give me an edge." She explained matter-of-factly.

He struggled to not stare at her figure when she mentioned her looks.

"No point in hiding from it. It's the reason I'm trusted to oversee the most dangerous, risky, and technically demanding operations Cerberus undertakes." She added, stepping off the elevator and leading Big Boss down through an armory.

"And it's why I was assigned to you. It's my job to make sure you succeed, Boss."

"So, what kind of genetic modification?" He asked.

Miranda lifted her omni-tool, tapping at the interface as they walked. "It's all very thorough. Physically, I'm superior in many ways. I heal quickly, and I'll likely live half again as long as the average human. "

"My biotic abilities are also very advanced... for a human anyway. Add to that, some of the best training and education money can buy and, well, it's pretty impressive, really."

Big Boss shrugged. "You don't lack for confidence."

"It's just a fact. But I'm not perfect, I'm still human. I make mistakes like everyone else. But when I do, the consequences are severe. Everyone expects a lot from someone with my... abilities." She said, revealing a softer tone he had not seen from her yet.

Snake nodded, feeling a slight of remorse, as he had felt the same way a long time ago when his memories returned, and when Solid Snake stood before him; dumbstruck and in awe with the horror of betrayal that his mentor was behind Outer Heaven.

He pushed the thought out of his mind. As far as he could.

They entered another bulkhead and turned left before Miranda stopped and peered into one of the windows.

"There she is." She said.

They stood outside an enormous hangar bay, and the lights flickered to life to reveal a ship the length of a skyscraper. It was pristine and sharp, elegant and frightening. It was of a white-silver and black—something he had seen a lot around the space station. It gleamed beneath the overhead lights like the new car in a car lot. Snake had never seen such a vessel before in his life, he could not help but feel in admiration.

"Do you ever smile, Boss?" Miranda grinned slyly at his face, stoic and expressionless.

Big Boss smirked as he gazed at the ship.

"She got a name?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. But it'll need one."

After seeing the Ship to be his, Snake stood in his quarters—provided to him as the ship finished its final checkups—He dressed down to his fatigues, his armor and weapons loaded onto the ship already.

Did he really think he could take on this mission? Save 'humanity' from these so called Reapers? The threat seemed real enough in that security footage that the alien Veetor had shown them…

Aliens… space travel… He felt even more out of his skin than he did usually. Like he was in some sort of video game. The more he thought about it, the more difficult the answer was to decipher on if this was reality or not. He dipped his hands under the pouring faucet and let the water cool his calloused hand, and drip over his aging bionic one.

His breath fell short when he noticed both his hands were covered in mud and old blood; dried and crusted from years of warfare, hands sullied forever by the years he lived. He looked at his fingers—worn from scars and cuts that lined his knuckles and palms. His smallest and third fingers were misshapen; the result of a bad break.

He turned over both hands and let the water fall between the cuts and creases of his skin that reached the hollowness inside. He pooled the water in his conjoined palms and splashed his face.

When he looked in the mirror, he saw blood—not water—smeared across his face. The red crawled deep into his scars and buried itself deep into his skin like ticks. He splashed his face again, only for more blood to hit his face.

He inhaled heavily. A diamond tear glistened in his eye.

In his reflection, he saw all the dirty little things he had done. All the men and women he killed, all the friends he let die, all the family he betrayed. Chico, Paz, his Diamond Dogs, Quiet, Kaz… and himself.

They were all tombstones in his wake, killed by the earthquake of his footsteps. He could barely remember his name—his real name.

He could not even remember the face of his mother, or of his father.

He abandoned them all. Leaving the world as himself, and returning as The Legendary Big Boss. A character in a very real play.

Maybe... just maybe if he did this—took command of this ship, saved a new world he didn't belong in, they would forgive him. Absolve him of this blood and bathe him in waters of clarity, to free him of the demon he had become, and let him rest as the man he had forsaken, to actually feel something _real_ again.

He wished to see Kaz's face, as it was when they were on MSF, a proud smirk on his face instead of the cloud of red revenge that hung over him. He wished to see Quiet, to tell her how he loved her in their final moments. To share a cigar, one final time with Big Boss.

He ran a hand over the mirror and wiped away the blood from his face, but he only saw himself—from before the incident in Cyprus. He stood scarred and bruised, bearded and tan, he looked just as he remembered. Jet black hair, two, blue eyes, that scar that had once been over his right brow.

"One last time... I'll wear Your skin… I'll use Your voice, and speak Your words. I'll carry Your name and think your thoughts. I'll use Your hands for war, one last time." He whispered and turned the faucet off. He stared at himself for a moment longer and watched the blood stream from his face to see the phantom of Big Boss staring back.

 _"Boss, deployment is in twenty, we'll meet you on the CIC. Out."_ Jacob's voice sounded over the radio.

He blinked and the blood was gone, the shrapnel tucked into his hairline was the length he used to, not the mark of the demon he became. He exited the bathroom, clenching a fist tightly as he walked down the corridor to the hangar bay.

He'd play his part, one more time. He would be The Legend, one more time.

"Welcome aboard the Ishmael, Boss." Miranda greeted as Big Boss and Jacob entered the star ship by means of the airlock.

He returned her greeting with a nod, taking a good long look at the interior of the ship. Crewmen stood from their stations, standing tall and saluting as he walked by, he made a point to meet their gaze and offer a curt dip of his head before they turned back to their tasks.

The ship was impressive—stations lined the corridors, filled with monitors and holographic-interfaces.

As he approached the center of the CIC, he saw the map that took up the whole middle of the room, a map of the entire galaxy. Everyone stood at attention, saluting and standing at the ready. He gestured them at ease and they returned to their work.

Miranda conjured her omni-tool. "I've been looking over the dossiers. I'd strongly recommend starting by acquiring Mordin Solus, the salarian professor on Omega."

He glanced at her with mild confusion. "Salarian?"

Jacob filled him in. "They're a species of alien, smart guys, talk fast, tech wizards."

Snake held his tongue on whether to ask if they were really wizards.

"We know the Collectors use some type of advanced technology to immobilize their victims. We'll need him to develop a countermeasure to protect us." Miranda continued.

"Without it, we'll be Collector food." Jacob said.

"Acquiring Professor Solus seems like the most logical place to start." Another woman's voice boomed around them, speaking over the intercom.

Snake lifted a brow. "Who?"

A holographic image of a sphere appeared over the console surrounding the galaxy map, lines visualized across the center of the sphere as the voice spoke. "I am the Ishmael's artificial intelligence; the Enhanced Defense Intelligence. The crew refer to me as EDI."

"EDI is in control of the ship, she gives us an edge in cyber warfare and data mining." Jacob said.

Though the sphere flickered in protest. "Actually, I am not in full of the ship. Due to potential dangers of a rogue AI, Cerberus has severely restricted my capabilities. During combat, I operate the electronic warfare and cyber warfare suites. Beyond that, I cannot interface with the ship's systems. I observe and offer analysis and advice. Nothing more."

Snake turned his attention back to Miranda and Jacob. Alien wizards and now AI's. He had hoped the mammal pod would have been the last AI he would ever see. "Anybody else I should meet?" He asked. Miranda nodded. "The Ishmael has a full crew. They're at their stations awaiting your orders. It'd be good for you to meet them—they've only heard myths of you."

Another voice appeared over the intercom. "Final preparations for takeoff are complete, Big Boss. When you're ready to go, just pick a destination from the galaxy map in the CIC and I'll plot a course."

Snake looked to Jacob.

"That's Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, goes by Joker."

Miranda dismissed her omni-tool. "Jacob and I should return to our posts. Come find us if you have any questions."

And with that, she walked away while Jacob offered a final salute, following her to their stations.

Snake walked back up to the bridge to meet the helmsman. "Joker." He called.

The pilot's seat spun around and Big Boss saw the young man, his body oddly misshapen—some of his bones contorted and his legs looked frail and weak. Other than that, Joker looked like a regular young man.

"Big Boss." He replied, in a gruff voice that mimicked Snake. Big Boss smirked. "So you can fly this thing?" He asked, gesturing to the screens and holographic-interfaces around him.

Joker scoffed. "Yeah, well, if that's what you want to call it. I mean—I like to think of it as; carrying everyone's ass out of the fire and out of future danger with my awesome, sweetly natural skills." He joked as he leaned an elbow on the armrest.

"So, uh... you're pretty old, huh? Like… from the 1980's or something?" Joker asked, carefully.

"1995, is the last year I remember." Big Boss said, looking out the skyline windows above to see the stars floating above.

Joker whistled. "Yikes. Did they even have planes back then? I'm not too good with history."

Big Boss shrugged.

Joker tapped nervously on his arm rest. "... Aaaanyway, this is my baby. Pretty, right? I mean, look at my seat! Real leather! Military may set the hardware standard, but on a first-gen frigate they could care less if the seats breathe. Civilian sector comfort by design."

EDI's sphere appeared beside Joker. "The reproduction is not intended to be perfect, Mr. Moreau. Seamless improvements were made." She said helpfully informative.

The pilot groaned. "And there's the downside. I liked my ship when she was beautiful, and quiet. Now she's got this thing I don't want to talk about. It's like ship cancer." He said irritated.

Big Boss uncrossed his arms with a snicker, amused by the piolet's antics. "Take us to the Omega station Joker." He said.

"Sure thing, Boss." Joker spun around in his seat reach the controls and cracked his knuckles.

Snake walked away from the bridge, Joker's whispers a fade in the distance. He stepped around the CIC, and stood in front of the giant galaxy map, looking at the masses of star clusters and galaxies pinged for voyage. He stared at it so long, he did not even realize there was a woman standing at attention beside him near one of the terminals.

"Welcome aboard, Big Boss." She said in a friendly manner.

He dipped his head in greeting.

"I'm Yeoman Kelly Chambers. I've been assigned as your administrative assistant. I'll manage your messages, and help you monitor the crew. And I must say, it's an honour to work under you, I've read over your history extensively; if you have any questions about anything, please, don't hesitate to ask."

Snake nodded. "Thanks." He said, to which the woman smiled.

"Is there anything I should know?" He asked, returning his attention to the galaxy map.

"Just one, The Illusive Man forwarded another dossier of a potential ally—a mercenary by the name of Zaeed Massani. He'll be on Omega as well."

"Good." Snake said, turning his attention to the map. A mercenary, huh? He wondered if mercenaries now were any different from then.

He figured they should retrieve Mordin Solus now, and stared at the galaxy map before looking over to the yeoman.

"How does this work?"

"Omega in sight, Boss, approaching hangar bay entrance." Joker announced over the intercom.

Snake stood in his quarters, clipping the chest plate of his Ajax Armor to the back and double-checked the rest of his armor. He opened his omni-tool, tapping on invisible buttons slowly and with unfamiliarity to bring up the screen for his suit diagnostics.

Everything checked nominal and he reached for his helmet to clasp it to his side as Jacob had shown him. He entered the elevator and got off at the CIC, joining Jacob and Miranda the equipment table in the Armory.

Jacob looked in his direction and tossed him the Mattock. "Omega's a mean place, Boss. There's no central government, no real law. It's the wild west down there."

Snake caught the rifle with ease, checking it over and arming himself with as many thermal clips his suit would allow.

They finished gathering their weapons before they approached the airlock.

Joker spun in his seat to see them. "We're connected and good to go, Boss."

The team entered the airlock and Joker called after them. "Hey, bring me back one of those drinks with an umbrella while you're down there."

The door shut, and a decontamination spray engulfed them.

A second passed and they entered the threshold that bridged the Ishmael and Omega together.

The landing zone was loud—shouts and heavy traffic echoed from round the corner at the end of the hall. Snake set the Mattock on his back harness, the magnetic lock latching onto the rifle.

The others followed suit as they were approached by a jittery alien with giant black eyes, slim lips and his hands only three digits each.

Jacob leaned close to Big Boss. "Salarian… and looks like a drug addict." He whispered.

"Ah!" The salarian extended his arms in welcome, though his fingers twitched rapidly.

"Welcome to Omega! You're new here, aren't you? I can always tell. Allow me to—"

Another alien stomped toward them He pushed the salarian out of the way with minimal effort and stood a few feet from Big Boss. He was wide and tall, had four eyes and no nose. His skin was oily and reflective, almost like a fish. He was about the ugliest thing Snake had ever seen.

Jacob leaned over again and whispered that he was a batarian.

The salarian rose from his fallen spot, his hands shaking in front of himself. "Oh! Hello, Moklan, I was just—"

Moklan pointed back to the way he came. "Leave, Fargut. Now." His voice was deep and metallic, a growl covered in nails.

Fargut bowed his head rapidly, turning and running down the corridor.

"Blasted scavengers... Welcome to Omega, Cerberus." The broad chested alien said, though it was hardly welcoming.

Big Boss cast a look at Miranda who shrugged in response.

"You know who we are?" She asked, a hand on her hip.

Moklan snorted a sneer. "Of course. We had you tagged the moment you entered the Terminus Systems. You're not as subtle as you think. Aria wants to know what brings a bunch of xenophobic zealots to Omega, so I suggest you go to Afterlife now and present yourself."

He turned around and left the way he came, not waiting for a response from them.

Snake gestured for the others to follow him as he followed after the alien.

EDI's voice chimed in over the radio. Radio communication seemed universal now, when Snake first arrived at the space station, they had implanted a small communications device into his ear, It was able to become loud enough to hear over a fire fight, but only he could hear it. When he stared at the doctor with confusion, he said it was based on an older communications device called at Codec, but that it now included a translator for every learned language in the galaxy.

"I'm receiving quarantine warnings about the slums where Dr. Mordin Solus runs the clinic. Anticipate resistance at the sector station." EDI informed.

"I have also accessed messages between mercenary groups regarding plans to deal with Archangel, one of our dossier recruits. There's a recruiting station at Afterlife that may have information on him."

Down the corridor, a heavily armored man was beating a batarian harshly, he struck his fist into the alien's stomach with enough force that Snake could almost see his fist come out the other side.

Miranda gestured to him. "That's Zaeed Massani, one of our other dossier recruits."

Snake called to the man. "Zaeed Massani?"

The alien he was beating fell to the ground, heaving for breath. He looked at Big Boss with bruised eyes. All four of them. "Please... you have to help me." He begged.

The bounty hunter kneed him in the face. "No one said you could talk, jackass." Zaeed said.

He was an older man, roughly around Snake's age. His face was heavily scarred and his right eye was damaged, replaced with was what clearly a mechanical eye. The similarities weren't lost on Snake.

"Yeah, that's me. You must be Cerberus. I hear we have a galaxy to save." He said in a gruff British accent.

"We assume you've been briefed?" Miranda asked.

The man frowned. "I've done my homework. Cerberus sent me everything I needed to know."

Jacob pointed to the injured alien. "What about him?" He asked, he didn't look to keen on the mercenary.

Zaeed placed a hand on the alien's head, patting him hard. "Batarian delinquent. Pissed off someone rich enough to hire me to go after him. And for my 'Bring 'em in alive' rates, even."

The batarian shook his head. "Please... I didn't do it..." He pleaded.

"I said shut it!" Zaeed backhanded him with a closed fist.

"Tried to lead me on a chase all over the Systems. Should've known better. These people always run to Omega." He cleared his throat as he gestured for the batarian to stand up and looked back at the Boss.

"I assume The Illusive Man's told you about our arrangement?"

Snake looked to Miranda for an answer, but she shook her head. "What kind of arrangement?" He asked.

Zaeed turned away from the batarian address Big Boss fully. "Picked up a mission a little while back, just before I signed on with Cerberus. Thought you'd be interested. You heard the name Vido Santiago?"

Snake shook his head.

"He's the head of the Blue Suns. Runs the whole organization. Seems he recently captured an Eldfell-Ashland refinery on Zorya and is using their workers for slave labour. The company wants it dealt with."

"Fine." Big Boss said.

Zaeed looked pleased. "Good. Get it out of the way so we can concentrate on being big goddamn heroes." Just as he finished speaking, the batarian made a mad dash for the airlock.

But as quick as he sprinted away, Zaeed drew a Carnifex with quick prowess, shooting the fleeing man once in the leg.

He shrieked and fell to the ground, crying in agony.

The mercenary stepped around Big Boss and called over his shoulder. "I better turn this thing in before it starts to stink. Radio me when you're finished with that bitch, Aria." And dragged the batarian away by the ankle.

"Charming guy. Afterlife is just ahead." Jacob cracked.

They left the hallway out into the open street, traffic bustled in the air above them as people laughed and shouted on the streets below. They stood outside a large building; Afterlife, etched with holographic letters above.

Snake led them past the line of people waiting to get in and met the Moklan who greeted them before. He stood beside a giant creature on four powerful limbs, its face monotonous and uninterested. The batarian gestured his head for them to go on through the large doors and they walked into the club.

Instantly, Big Boss' hearing was overburdened with noise. Was this supposed to be music? If you could even call it that. He had thought the 80's had changed music, and he loved it, every bit of it. It was the only thing that felt genuine and real anymore. He could see most of everything in his memory that Big Boss had done, but it had never really felt like he had done it, like he was watching from the outside, of the events that had transpired. He could remember when he first met Ocelot, when he was known as Major Ocelot, a cocky soldier with a lot of skill, but no disciple. But when he met him again, after Cyprus… He felt nothing. He felt hollow.

Music was the one good thing that was constant.

But this pulsing beat… the static distortion… the shrieking melody… It cut straight through his ears and vibrated his chest. He did not like it at all.

"Do you see her anywhere?!" He called over the noise to Miranda and Jacob.

The dark skinned soldier looked around before he pointed up to a loft overlooking the room. "There!" He shouted.

They brushed past a few dancing salarians and humans before standing in front of a heavily armed batarian, a bored look on his face. "Go on up." He groaned, barely registering the trio.

They climbed up the steps to see more armed batarians and one seated turian, a glass in his hand. A woman stood with her back to them and as soon as they came in view, guns were drawn on them.

Snake dropped his hand to the Carnifex at his leg, while the other two did the same with their guns.

The woman raised a hand. "Ah-ah-ah!" She said and spun around.

One of the batarians stepped forward, conjuring his omni-tool. "Stand still." He ordered.

He then guided his hand a few feet from Big Boss' face as it scanned his biometrics.

Snake looked past the batarian at the woman. She was slim and well-muscled. Her skin appeared the shade of violet like an exotic flower, the contours of her face even and smooth, stern and serious.

The batarian's omni-tool beeped and he took a step back. "They're clean." He announced.

The exotic flower sat down and crossed one leg over the other, a drink in her hand.

Snake spoke first. "So, you run this place then?"

She laughed, and took a drink from her glass.

The music was drowned out by the glass overlooking the dance floor, so Snake could hear the fullness in her voice, the authority it carried with a simple cackle.

She shot him icy stare. "I _am_ this place. I'm the boss, CEO—queen, if you're feeling dramatic. It doesn't matter. Omega has no titled ruler and only one rule. She took a sip from a green drink.

"Don't fuck with, Aria." She spat out vehemently.

Snake blinked, his face stoic and unamused. "Easy to remember." He replied leisurely.

"If you forget, someone will remind you." She countered, taking another drink.

The batarian closest to them spoke next. "And then I toss your sorry ass out the nearest airlock."

Aria smirked and gestured for the three of them to take a seat somewhere. Snake took a seat on the lounge chair nearest her, but just outside of arm length. Jacob and Miranda remained where they were standing, eying the batarian guards carefully. "So, why are you here?" She demanded more than asked.

"We're looking for a scientist—salarian—Mordin Solus." Big Boss asked.

She raised a curious brow. "Last I heard he was trying to help plague victims in the quarantine zone." She informed, she then leaned back with a smug expression.

"I always liked Mordin... he's as likely to heal you as he is to shoot you." Aria mused.

"He used to be part of the salarian STG; Special Tasks Group. He's brilliant, and dangerous. Just don't get him talking. He never shuts up."

"If you really need to find him, take a shuttle to the quarantine zone. No guarantee they'll let you in, of course." She brought up her omni-tool and pushed a few keys. Big Boss' omni-tool sprang to life and he looked down. The red ping showed on his map, detailing an entrance to another sector of Omega. He closed the tool down and stood. "Thanks." He said turning back to the exit. "Wait." Aria, stood from her seat, Snake turned and looked up at her. "Who are you?" She urged.

"Big Boss." Snake said, turning back and leaving the loft with Miranda and Jacob in tow. Aria returned to her seat. She leaned back with an arm draped over the back.

"Big Boss..?" She pondered aloud.

They traveled across the sector until they approached a door where a turian guard stood posted with a scowl on his face while a human woman was shouting at him. As they approached, Jacob tapped Snake on the shoulder. "He's a turian." He informed. Big Boss felt mild shock at the turians appearance; the more aliens he saw, the easier it got.

"...to get lost, lady! The plague has the whole zone quarantined! Nobody gets in!" The turian guard exclaimed irritated.

The woman in front of him fumed. "I'm human, you ass! Humans can't get the plague! Now, let me get my stuff out before looters get it!"

The turian would not budge. "This thing affects every other race out there! We're not taking chances. Nobody gets in until the plague has run its course." He said with finality.

The woman shook her head in disbelief. "You can't keep me out, I'm going to lose all my stuff!"

"I'm doing you a favour, human. Anybody in the quarantine zone will be dead from the plague or the gangs in a few weeks."

Miranda stepped forward and said. "There's a salarian by the name Mordin Solus in the slums, we need to get in there to find him."

"The doctor? I hear he's trying to deal with the plague. I wish him luck, but the area is still locked down. Our orders are to wait until either the plague or the Blue Suns kill everyone, then go in and clean up." Jacob crossed his arms and sighed sympathetically. "Look, you're stuck here 'til this quarantine is over. That could take weeks. What you want is to get this problem solved right now. That's us—let us in, and we'll get this mess sorted out by tonight so you can get your freak on."

The turian flicked his mandibles in thought before shrugging. "What the hell, you think you can fix this, why not. The quarantine is more to keep infected people in, anyway. I'll radio ahead, tell them you're coming in." He said, turning away and lifting his finger to his ear piece.

The woman gawked. "What?! You're letting them in and not me?!" The turian turned back to her, "You're not armed to the teeth lady. Get lost." Snake turned to his companions, giving a nod of approval.

"Hey!" A voice shouted behind them, they turned to see Zaeed saunter toward them, a furrow in his brow. "You're, Big fuckin' Boss?!" He jabbed his finger into Snake's chest.

Snake nodded.

Zaeed's face contorted from anger to shock. "Unfuckin' believable, there's no way." He said in disbelief.

Miranda spoke next. "It's true. Cerberus recovered him from cryogenic storage and revived him."

Zaeed opened his mouth to speak, but then scratched his chin. "You… you're the reason I—" He shifted on his feet.

"Ah, hell." He uttered before he held a hand out to Snake. "It's an honour, Boss. You're a goddamn legend in the mercenary world."

Snake smirked and shook Zaeed's hand with is bionic one.

"You know about Big Boss?" Jacob asked with an amused snicker.

The aged mercenary took his hand back and glanced angrily at him.

"Of course! Any human merc who doesn't know the about Big Boss, doesn't deserve to call himself a merc."

Miranda brushed a strand of hair from her vision. "We'd better get a move on, who knows how long Dr. Solus has left."

"Right. I've got your back, Boss." Zaeed said, dipping his head.

Snake nodded, and shortly after, he led the group into the next sector.


	5. Chapter IV: Like Carrion Birds

**Chapter IV: Like Carrion Birds**

 _Hey guys, sorry for the major delay. I've been going through a very hard break up, and work has been killing me at the same time. Don't even have time for my band. Anyway, hope you enjoy! I'll have chapter 5 up in a few days, just proofreading left for that one. And it stars a certain turian sniper. ;) - AThousandSuns_

* * *

The bulkhead shut from behind, and sealed them away from safety and into risk; critical. Ahead of them two guards stood atop a barricade.

"Don't shoot, they're cleared to move in." One of them said, rising from behind the wall as he watched Big Boss and his companions walk through the sector gate.

Big Boss and his team proceeded through, their weapons, locked and loaded. They passed into the next area where a turian guard by another door hit the lock, and the bulkhead slid open.

"Good luck, Blue Suns and Vorcha are shooting anything that moves in there." He warned.

"Thanks." Jacob said as they traveled through.

Zaeed followed Big Boss—who took point—and brought up the rear of the group. "Blue Suns, eh? It's gonna be a good day." He said enthusiastically behind his M-76 Revenant.

Further into the sector, Snake stopped in his tracks with a raised hand. He motioned for the others to between the archways of the walls.

"Tangos down the line, 20 meters out." Jacob said.

Miranda peeked from behind Jacob. "Quick and easy." She suggested.

Snake nodded and motioned for Zaeed to take aim with him, as they had the longest ranged weapons.

"Headshots." He said, going prone and aiming his M-96 Mattock.

"Roger that." Zaeed moved closer to the wall and took a knee. They aimed down their scopes until their targets were in sight.

"On three."

They breathed in synchronicity.

Snake whispered. "1—2—3." He fired one round first, his aim true as his bullet pounded through the man's unprotected skull while Zaeed's went through the others.

Their bodies fell limp and hit the ground with dead thuds.

"Jacob, take point." Big Boss said, standing from his prone position.

Zaeed patted his shoulder and moved in with Jacob into the next area.

Miranda tapped him next and he followed the three, bringing up the rear.

Zaeed groaned as he saw the flames in the middle of the street, bodies burned, pervading the air with a disgusting odour. "Plague control at its most basic: pile the bodies in the street and burn 'em."

Big Boss looked into the flame. His heart felt suddenly heavy.

Thick in despair as coffins lined and flagged, waiting for their inferno. He remembered the smell of death around him; grotesque and putrid. He trudged through bloody corridors. His steps slipped with each footfall against the thick red. They died then, and so did a part of him.

"Boss?" Miranda's voice ushered him back to reality.

He shook his head. "Let's go."

They moved to the right where a batarian lay on ground, holding his throat in agony.

He looked up at Big Boss, his face weak and angry. "Human... Should have guessed..." He coughed a sickly cough, his breaths thick and hazy.

"Bad enough you infect us with this plague... Now you lack the decency to even wait until I die before you come to rob me..." He huffed, harshly.

Miranda gestured the opposite. "Humans didn't create this plague."

The batarian spat. "Lies drip from your mouth like the blood from my sores... the proof is there for all to see. Your species is the only one that does not succumb to the virus... Yours, and the wretched vorcha..."

Big Boss glanced at Jacob.

"Alien, volatile and very aggressive." He informed.

Snake turned back to the batarian. "We're looking for a salarian, Mordin Solus." He said.

The batarian gagged. "… Humans looking for the human sympathizer. I hope the vorcha burn Mordin and his clinic to the ground..." He spat grimly.

He began to cough violently, gripping his chest and throat. "D... Damn you! Can't—"

"Miranda." Snake said and she stepped forward.

"Right."

She dropped to a knee and applied a dose of medigel to the open sores of his throat.

His coughs of pain slowed and he breathed a little easier with each breath. He reclined back against the wall, his voice a gurgle in his throat. "You... why?"

"Mordin Solus, where is he?" Big Boss asked.

The batarian swallowed, the lump in his throat clearing. "He... has a clinic on the far side of the district. He's taking in refugees, offering help to those infected with the plague." He whispered.

"I was afraid to go to him before. He's... dangerous, but... perhaps he can help."

Snake nodded and gestured for the others to move out. He paused in front of the batarian and said, "We'll tell him you're here. Hold on til then." And he followed after the others.

"Thank you... human." The batarian crowed.

The group continued to traverse through the district with caution, stepping over dead bodies, toppled carts and fiery machinery.

Miranda's voice was an echo in the corridor as they passed through. "I have to say Boss, you're adapting fairly well to seeing aliens everywhere, even going as to help them." She said with a tone of seriousness and genuine surprise.

He was inclined to agree, but what was he supposed to say or do when he saw them? Scream? Shoot them? Stare dumbfounded? They spoke English in his ear, and their voices and expressions carried emotion. If he shut his eyes, they would look just like people to him, he would never tell the difference.

And beneath all the alloy and steel—beneath the vastness of space and development in technology… The galaxy seemed the same as the world he remembered.

People got sick, They fell in love, they danced to music and drank. They were greedy and vain—it did not matter what your species was—the poor suffered, the rich taxed them. Soldiers fought, were discarded, and died all the same, just as in his time. The only difference was the way everyone looked.

He did not say anything in response, only tapped Jacob on the shoulder and took point of the group.

They treaded on 'til they came to an exposed center plaza, loud hissing and bickering voices echoed against the walls.

Snake raised a hand, his team halted and ducked low. He observed the plaza—from the open floor, to the tight corners hugging the tall walls and skyline ceilings. The dimness of the light would work to their benefit. There was enough cover for a firefight, but also enough for them to execute this quietly.

The group of vorcha stood bored and lazy, unguided and undisciplined.

Big Boss ordered the others into position. "Go quiet. Miranda with me. Jacob, Zaeed go right." He said and broke off with Miranda in tow.

They moved with operative precision, their footfalls silent and unheard, not even an echo in their wake.

They approached the corner and he peeked around to see three of the vorcha; one of them smoked a cigarette and leaned against the railing nearest Snake. The other used his omni-tool frustratingly, cursing at the screen. The third disappeared around the far corner.

Miranda whispered into her radio. "How should we act?"

Big Boss answered her by knocking against the wall with his bionic hand, echoing a hollow rapping.

The closest vorcha turned, dropping his cigarette.

"Huh? What that sound?" The other asked aloud, dropping his omni-tool and raising his shotgun.

"We check." He snapped, stomping to the corner with the other vorcha in tow.

Snake gestured for him to take the closest and Miranda take the other.

As the vorcha rounded the corner, Big Boss poised and lunged out like a snake. He maneuvered behind the alien and looped an arm over his mouth, and squeezed 'til the vorcha kicked and struggled no more.

Miranda stabbed her omni-blade into the others throat, his body convulsed and seized when it hit the ground with a thump. Snake heaved both bodies behind the corner and they tiptoed forward, their forms tight and small.

Jacob and Zaeed appeared across from them, in the shadows of the far wall. They converged on the entrance to the left of them and covered from both sides.

Snake stole a look around the edge to see a corridor that led up via a flight of steps. A vorcha and an unfamiliar race to Big Boss walked up the steps; it was massive, its back humped hugely beneath its blooded armor.

"We'll have to light 'em up. We're aren't gonna drop that krogan quietly." Zaeed whispered over the radio.

Snake agreed, and the four of them took position with sights up and down.

"… Fire." He whispered. The team shot downrange, taking down the vorcha first and then the krogan as he spun around, his shields depleted quicker than he could pull up his shotgun, only managing a cry in rage.

"Target down." Jacob said as the krogan fell back and rolled down the alloy steps. He took point again and led the group up the stairs.

Big Boss felt a twitch in the back of his neck. "Wait!" He shouted as three more vorcha rounded the corner, heavy gunfire rained down on them like acid rain. Jacob back stepped, his shields taking the brunt of the bullets as he dived behind the wall again—just in time for as shields gave out in that instant.

Zaeed aimed over the wall and double tapped one vorcha in the chest, forcing his feet out from under him.

Miranda lifted the closest with her biotics as Big Boss hammered him with ammunition.

Jacob aimed his shotgun at the last and blew his head clean off.

"Clear." Big Boss said as no more appeared. The others fell at ease, and Jacob stood with a shake of his head and an irritated look.

"Too close, I'll be more careful next time." He said with humiliation.

Zaeed scoffed. "You'd better, would be pretty embarrassing to tell people you got killed by a vercha."

Jacob kept a straight face, but the slouch in his shoulders said he was seething.

Snake began to feel that the soldier didn't much like the mercenary. He sighed internally and took point this time.

"On me." He said, ending any further discussion.

They continued through the maze of the district, slipping through alleyways and tight streets, passing under bridges and balconies. Resistance was contained in short and small firefights between vorcha and Blue Suns.

Snake's rifle smoked at the barrel as he plugged the last krogan between the eyes, its body gone lifeless.

He took a moment to look at his face, all leathery and orange; death-filled eyes of fiery red stared to the ceiling of the station.

"All tangos down. Grouping on Big Boss." Jacob chattered over the radio as the group met together in the center of the open Square.

"It seems we've crossed into vorcha territory." Miranda said, drawing her Predator M-7, as her M-12 Locust depleted.

"Blue Suns have given up a lot of ground." She added.

"Just what I like to see." Zaeed said as they began to clear past the square, toward the exit on the far side.

"Not a fan of Blue Suns, huh?" Jacob asked.

Zaeed casted him a callous glare. "It ain't any of your goddamn business if I am or not." He spat venomously.

Miranda interrupted and pointed at the door. "Look. There's the clinic."

"Double time." Snake ordered and led them to the clinic.

They hustled to the heavy door and it slid open with a creak. Down a flight of stairs, they entered the clinic with their weapons drawn.

The man at the front desk shook his head. "No funny business once you're inside, unless you wanna deal with those mechs." He said, gesturing to the mechs behind him.

Snake assured him by setting his weapon away on his back, motioning for the others to do the same.

The man behind the counter waved with his head for them to go on in.

When they entered the main waiting area of the clinic, they were greeted by a diverse group of species scattered about. Their bodies lay in cots, and some stood crowded together together and talked among themselves. Some huddled, afraid and anxious.

Miranda stepped up to the nurse behind the counter to their left. "We're looking for Mordin Solus."

The woman didn't look up from her datapad as she spoke, "Down that hall on the right."

Big Boss led them down the hall and passed more aliens who cast looks of heavy disdain, of clear annoyance, or that of pure fear.

A voice sounded from beyond the wall. "Professor—we're running low on cipoxidin."

The other voice was quick, articulate and precise. "Use Malanarin. Plenty on hand. Almost as good. Causes cramping in batarians. Supplement with Butemorol."

The group rounded the corner where they saw the salarian—the tallest Big Boss had seen thus far—stand over precious lap equipment, his nurse nodded and exited the room quickly.

Snake watched as he worked, his fingers against the interface quickly.

"Cenozine is the catalyst. Bonds to genetic markers. Hard to find. Expensive to mass produce. Why not heplacore? Too unstable. Inconsistent results. Demozane better option. No-no-no. Demozane toxic to humans. Not an option. Not an option."

Jacob cleared his throat. "Professor Mordin Solus?" The salarian snapped his attention to the team and moved to them on quick feet. His omni-tool was bright as he guided it over them. When it blinked green, he nodded to himself.

He then stared at Big Boss with an inquisitive gaze, his eyes darted between them all. "Hmm. Don't recognize you from area. Too well-armed to be refugees. No mercenary uniform. Quarantine still in effect." He stepped over to another console and began tapping away.

"Here for something else. Vorcha? Crew to clean them out? Unlikely. Vorcha a symptom, not a cause. The plague? Investigating possible use as bio-weapon? No... No-no. Too many guns, not enough data equipment. Soldiers, not scientists. Yes-yes-yes." He turned back to Big Boss, and stood a mere foot away.

"Hired guns, maybe? Looking for someone? Yes-yes! But who? Someone important. Valuable. Someone with secrets. Someone like... me." He took a step back and pulled up his omni-tool again.

"Me. Looking for me. Why? Who are you and what do you want?" He asked suspiciously.

"We're from Cerberus, and we need you to come with us." Miranda said, leaning on one leg.

Mordin raised a brow. "Go with you? No-no-no, too busy. Clinic understaffed. Plague spreading too fast. Cerberus you said? Unexpected."

Big Boss watched the salarian's hand slip an inch to the Carnifex on the lab table.

"Look, Cerberus might not have the best reputation, but we need your help." Jacob said.

Mordin's finger tapped against the table before he stood in front of Big Boss again.

"Why request salarian aid?" He asked.

"The Collectors are kidnapping entire human populations. We're going to find out why and stop them." Miranda informed.

Mordin hummed, crossing his arms in thought. "Collectors? Interesting. Plague hitting slums is engineered. Collectors one of few groups with technology to design it. Our goals may be similar."

He shook his head. "But must stop plague first. Already have a cure. Need to distribute it at environmental control center. Vorcha guarding it. Need to kill them." He said, turning back to another monitor.

Big Boss spoke this time. "We'll get in and deal with the vorcha." He said. As if on cue, a loud sound of systems powering down filled the room above them. "What the _fuck_ was that." Zaeed asked, seeing that the vents failed to produce oxygen.

Mordin called up his omni-tool, tapping away at it. "Vorcha have shut down environmental systems. Trying to kill everyone. Need to get power back on before district suffocates. Here." He handed Big Boss a small vial with a bluish liquid inside.

"Take plague cure, upload into ventilation. One more thing. Daniel. One of my assistants. Went into vorcha territory. Looking for victims. Hasn't come back."

Snake nodded, slipping the vial into his pack and Mordin sighed in relief.

"Thank you. Told him not to go. But he's smart. Bright future. I hope."

Snake turned to leave but stopped and looked back to Mordin. "We found a plague victim near the entrance of the neighbourhood. He needs help."

Mordin approved. "Risky. Blue Suns, vorcha still battling. District not secure. See what I can do. Please hurry."

Big Boss joined the others near the exit that led to the environmental control centre and Miranda restocked herself with thermal clips from a table nearby.

"We should do this quick." She said.

Jacob nodded. "It'll only be a few hours till the air is all gone in the district. And the less amount of air, the more folks'll breathe."

"Let's get this over with." Snake said, drawing his Mattock and led the group up a flight of stairs into the next area.

Almost immediately they encountered heavy resistance from vorcha, their numbers greater than any encountered thus far. With mild difficulty the team had taken them out, and once they were defeated, Big Boss led them through another sector of the district.

They were about to pass by a door when they heard the voice of a pleading man.

"...vials contain a cure! Please... you have to believe me!"

Snake signaled for Jacob to take point and the rest of the group covered either side of the entrance. Jacob hammered his hand against the green holo screen and the doors open to reveal a group batarians, strong arming a human in medical fatigues.

Zaeed and Big Boss entered from the right side, weapons poised.

One of the batarians shouted, "Look out!" and aimed his handgun at the door.

The other batarians did the same.

Big Boss dropped to a knee as Zaeed fired his rifle. Jacob and Miranda did the same, shooting at the batarians while Big Boss double tapped the one who strong armed the medic twice in the chest.

Their bodies fell like flies in poison and the medic stood, his hands covering his ears, in a state of shock.

Big Boss rose to his feet and lowered his rifle. "Daniel?" He asked.

The young man stared at him hard and long, nodding anxiously. "Y...y-y-you killed them." He said, his hands now over his eyes.

Zaeed leaned on one foot and rested his rifle on his shoulder. "Take a breath kid." Daniel's hands quivered and his lips trembled. He stepped away from the corpses, he dropped his hands from his face and wore a terrified expression.

"Did... did Mordin send you?" He asked clearly shaken.

Snake nodded.

Daniel tried to calm himself by taking deep breaths and tried to wipe the scene he just saw away from his memory.

"… Yeah, okay... okay, I'll go right away. Thank... you." He stuttered.

He grabbed his bag over on the table with vials of the plague cure in it and rushed out the door.

Zaeed loaded in a fresh thermal clip. "He isn't going to forget that anytime soon, poor bastard." He said sympathetically.

Snake inhaled deeply, he was right, Daniel would remember this vividly… for the rest of his life most likely. He could not help but think that they might have acted too soon. He left the bloodstained room and leaving the bodies scattered about behind them.

The others followed and they entered the next area, just outside the environmental control center.

They engaged a number of vorcha before clearing the massive entrance with lethal proficiency.

Big Boss rose from his concealment as his shields recharged fully, the battle over.

Warfare remained fundamentally the same as back in his time; if but for a few more luxuries compared to what he had to work with in the 90's.

Such as his armour; it offered greater mobility than his old sneaking suits, but granted more protection without adding more weight. It also offered him additional strength, and even adapted to the temperature around him so that he was never cold, nor overheated. The perfect suit, really.

Then there were thermal clips; universal and very easy to manage by picking them up off the ground after battles. They chambered like batteries in the loader of the gun. Not to mention shields lended much more room for riskier maneuvers, and he found himself exposing his position more often when he saw a sure shot.

He reloaded his Mattock with a thermal clip he pulled from one of the dead vorcha's belts.

"We're close to the environmental controls. Let's get that cure in, then hit the fans." Jacob said.

Big Boss moved his head for the three of them to get behind him. He led them through a barren hallway, stepping past discarded crates and tools. They proceeded up a flight of stairs 'til they found the doors leading to the control centre.

"Expect heavy resistance." Miranda said, prepping her Locust. The group readied themselves and on a count of three, Big Boss led them into the facility.

The room was enormous, large fans stretched every wall and a set of controls sat at the far side of the hall. Vorcha surrounded them all over with overwhelming numbers. One of them ran forward, a hiss echoed in the hall.

"You no come here! We shut down machines, break fans! Everyone choke and die! Then Collectors make us strong!" It spat at them.

"What do the Collectors want?" Miranda probed.

The group edged themselves to the nearest cover, ready for the worst. The vorcha hissed viciously.

"Collectors want plague! You work for doctor! Turn on machines, put cure in air. Aaaugh, we kill you first!" It shouted, drawing its shotgun from its back.

Snake was the first to open fire, letting loose a chain of rounds in the vorcha who finished speaking. There was an onslaught exchange between them as chaos erupted. The foursome operated carefully, and pushed the vorcha back carefully.

Once the exchange grew quiet, Big Boss led them to the console in the back where Miranda stepped forward, holstering her Locust.

"Let me." She said.

Big Boss handed her the cure and she inserted it into a slot in the heavy machine by the console.

A loud whir began as machines that blinked red, turned green and sprang to life.

"Now we just need to turn the fans on. There's two consoles that operate the different areas of the district, I'll take point." She said, redrawing her weapon.

Snake nodded and got behind her, giving her a tap on the shoulder.

More vorcha appeared, and the group began another heated exchange. They fought their way to the left side.

They arrived at the first console and Miranda flipped a switch. "One more." The fans overhead jolted to life, a warm breeze filling the air. They trudged their way to the other side of the facility as more resistance appeared. Their numbers decreased and their rage made them slower and less smart.

Soon after, the only sound was the fans raging overhead, the strong breeze enveloped the room in blowing warmth. Miranda entered the room first and flipped the switch, the second set of fans whirred to life.

The group breathed easy, and lowered their weapons.

"Fans are up. That should be it." Miranda said, looking over her omni-tool to confirm.

"Come on, let's go tell Mordin." Jacob said.

"Environmental systems engaged. Airborne viral levels dropping. Patients improving. Vorcha retreating. Well done, Big Boss. Thank you." Mordin said, a bow of his head as he looked up from his terminal.

Snake raised a surprised brow, he looked back at Miranda who had the same face.

The salarian shared a haughty smile. "Had a free moment. Scanned your DNA diagnostics. Security and facial recognition in declassified human files. Used STG contacts to grant access to some 'not so classified' files."

He breathed. "Cryogenic stasis. Archaic design—though not surprised, given human technological history. No doubt dead upon retrieval and thaw process. Cerberus recovered you. Rebuilt you from ground up. Brought you back to life. Remarkable."

Snake shifted on his feet before asking. "So you'll help us then?"

"Yes. Unexpected to be working with Cerberus. Many surprises. Just need to finish up here at the clinic. Leaving Daniel in charge. Good kid. Bit naive." Mordin breathed.

"Says you executed the batarians threatening him. Would have done same. Meet you on your ship. Looking forward to working with you, Big Boss." Mordin said, returning to the terminal he tapped away on.

Snake nodded and gestured for the others to follow him back to the ship.

It was an hour after their return when Mordin walked onto the ship led by Jacob.

"Welcome to the Normandy, Professor. It's an honour to have you on board." The soldier said, standing tall beside Snake with arms crossed over his chest. Joker spun around in his seat to see the salarian with mild interest.

The scientist inspected the ship inquisitively and appreciatively. "Yes. Very exciting. Cerberus working with aliens—Unexpected. Illusive Man branching out, maybe? Not so human-centric?"

Joker scoffed. "You know the Illusive Man? I only heard about him when three agents raided my apartment while I was in the middle of—... other activities."

Mordin continued to inspect everything he could see. "Yes. Salarian government well connected. Espionage experts. Had top level clearance once. Retired now. Still hear things. Informed of name only. No knowledge of man behind it. Anti-alien reputation listed as—problematic."

Snake shook his head for Jacob to inform him of the situation.

"The Collectors have been abducting colonists from the fringes of the Terminus Systems. No distress signals are sent out. No signs of attack. There's virtually no evidence that anything unusual happened at all... except that every man, woman, and child is gone."

Mordin raised a finger to his chin in thought. "Gas, maybe? No. Too slow. Airborne virus? No. Slower than gas. Drugged water supply? No. Effects not simultaneous. Hm…"

"Can you help us stop them?" Snake asked.

Mordin nodded. "Yes. Can and will. Going to need lab. And samples, if recovered any."

EDI's voice sounded over the ships intercom. "There is a fully equipped lab on the combat deck, Professor Solus. If you find anything lacking, please place a requisition order."

Mordin tried to find the source of the voice. "Who's that? Pilot? No. Synthesized voice. Simulated emotional inflections. Could it be... no-no-no... Maybe. Have to ask. Is that an AI?" He asked intriguingly.

Jacob nodded.

The salarian's eyes widened with wonderment. "An AI on board? Non-human crew members and mercenaries from one hundred and eighty-nine years in the past? Cerberus more desperate than I thought."

"The Collectors have taken tens of thousands of colonists. We'll do whatever we have to do to find and stop them." Jacob said.

Mordin agreed. "Yes. Of course. Can't risk being captured like colonists. Need to identify, neutralize technology. Need samples. Which way to lab?"

Jacob gestured for the man to follow him. "Follow me, Professor."

Mordin followed the soldier out, but not before turning to face Snake. "When you have moment. Come see me. Will give you detailed checkup."

He leaned closer and whispered. "See if Cerberus did everything up to satisfactory. No surprises." He spun and left, disappearing into the science lab.

Snake returned to his quarters and sat at the desk in the center of the room and sighed tiredly. They had decided to rest for a few hours before heading out and looking for Archangel.

The terminal made an audible beep, and he looked to the screen as it informed him that there were new messages waiting for him. He shifted, and struggled about to open the message.

It had been from the Illusive Man, it contained a series of dossiers and attachments.

 _All it read was "As promised. — Illusive Man"_

The first of the dossiers was one headlined _'Operation Intrude N313'_

And so, he read. He read for hours he could not keep track of, and when he reached the end—the last line, his head sunk low.

The world Big Boss and Cypher left behind, was strewn with bodies. Bodies piled high as the sky. Bodies that crossed generations. Bodies of friends and faces that both men, had never met. Families dead due to their childish foolery.

If it had not been for Solid Snake… Human history would...

Venom could only assume this future he was in, would be very—very different.

The further he had read into the dossier, the more he grew to dislike Big Boss. The tactics he used in the end began to become deplorable, and a far cry from the man he believed in all those years ago. Even his friends became instruments in his war against Zero's Patriots. Venom Snake was a prime example.

And Kaz... Kaz was one of them, dying a death unworthy of such a warrior.

Though there was some retribution to be found.

Hal; Huey's son, formed the group Philanthropy, and helped save the world from the Patriots with Solid Snake.

Solid Snake… He could not help but feel an overwhelming pride in the boy—he could not fathom why, he was not his son after all, and he had only met him the one time, and in combat no less.

Still… He had felt the same when he first met Eli.

He had thought him brash, abrasive and sloppy. But the child carried conviction and determination like a double edged sword.

They were not his boys—Big Boss didn't even consider them his. Though… a part of Snake would have accepted them if they were.

In the documents, after the fall of the Patriots, Solid Snake died within the next few years of a genetic disease caused by the Les Enfant Terribles project, living the rest of his days with Hal Emmerich, and a child they had been protecting from the Patriots together.

The years that followed, thrust the world into a financial crisis that surpassed The Great Depression. With the war economy diminished to a near standstill, and governments owing massive amounts of monies to PMC contractors and arms dealers; technological advancements were slowed for nearly a decade while the world panicked economically.

It wasn't until 2024 that the economic situation; labelled The Years the World Stood Still, finally eased into recession, and back to a semblance of the way things were before.

Interest in space exploration and interplanetary mining became viable when an asteroid that crashed into international waters, carried billions of dollars in Platinum ore.

In 2069, NASA established a colony on the moon, labelled Armstrong Outpost, and in 2070, a young billionaire by the name of Victor Manswell privately funded his own expedition into space with the assistance of an aged Hal Emmerich and his adopted daughter, Sunny Emmerich. Within the next five years, they sent 300 colonists into outer space, to the Alpha Centauri system. Hal Emmerich lived two more years after, before he passed away in his sleep.

Big Boss couldn't bring himself to read anymore. When he looked at the time, it had been hours since he sat down, having been engrossed in the history, losing himself in a world shaped by zeroes and ones. Cyphers and Wills.

He stood and removed his armor slowly, his body sore, and achy as he did so. He removed his clothing and stepped into the bathroom. It took a moment for him to figure out how the to turn the water on. He removed his eyepatch, setting it on the sink nearby. He pulled out the tie that kept his long hair together and set it with the eyepatch before he stood beneath the cold water.

He preferred the water cold. Though... He recalled an unlocked memory, that he had once preferred them hot. For the soothing heat that had washed over sore muscles, felt serene. The way the warmth massaged his scalp, his back, his chest and stomach. How it melted away the harshness of the day, if only for a fleeting second.

Now, it reminded him of fire. It reminded him of an angel, falling back into the sky, before the sun exploded inside her. It shone on him, the heat that burned his skin, burned his eyebrows and lashes, his warm black hair and lips. It filled his heart and soul with bone and teeth of a Monarch he tried to save.

The icy shower was tolerable, it saved him from burning.

He stepped out from the wet and dressed in his fatigues, but forwent the shirt, wearing only the trousers. He sat at his desk, and relented to his heavy eyes as sleep took him over, and his dreams returned to the nightmares he could never shake.

 _Thanks for reading! And sorry if this is all over the place. I'll be explaining more of the history as we go. As for pacing, this story might be moving fast, but it's because I don't want this to be a hundred chapters. I would very much like to wrap this up under 40, so we can get to ME3, which I'm super excited for. :) Thanks again, I hope you enjoyed! - AThousandSuns_


	6. Chapter V: Beyond The Hourglass

**Mass Effect: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow**

 _As promised! Next one should be out soon. ;3 - AThousandSuns  
_

 **Chapter V: Beyond the Hourglass  
**

"Breathe in." Mordin told Snake.

The man did so, and held it in 'til the scientist nodded for him to exhale.

Mordin moved the stethoscope to another spot on his back. "And again."

Another breath.

"Hm… everything seems satisfactory. Higher than average brain activity. Noticed some blue spots. Not serious. Probably caused from reactivation of grey matter. Found fragments of human bone and teeth near heart—most peculiar. As well as analyzed depth of shrapnel in skull. Could extract. But risk further damage to optical lobe and cerebral cortex. Much safer to leave in. Also—found dated cybernetic replacements and rudimentary plastic surgery. Though advanced given time period of procedure in human history. Why the surgery?" Mordin ran through his omni-tool, as he spoke.

Snake thought of why he had the surgery, and why there were fragments of human teeth and bone near his heart. It had been so long since he thought about it. And then, he thought of Paz. His chest weighed heavy, labored with regret he thought forgiven.

He coughed and pulled his shirt back on. "Point blank in an explosion. Put me in a coma for nine years."

"And survived? Very lucky. Can see how bad damage was. Almost all muscle in your face cybernetic, or synthetic. Multiple nerve endings irreplaceable, including left arm." Mordin's face sobered.

"Now… things I discovered—will talk about only if comfortable." Mordin crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at Big Boss sincerely.

Snake averted his gaze, but nodded.

Mordin opened his omni-tool. "Your right eye. Surgically removed. Eyelid intact. Optic nerve fibers cut, not torn. No sign of rupture. Could replace with cybernetic. Have resources available here."

The salarian watched as the man on the table stared at a spot on the floor.

A new eye? But Snake had survived so long without it... He had even gotten used to operating in the field without it.

That wasn't it though. The eyepatch was iconic, a part of Big Boss that he had admired so long ago.

He thought of Kaz then.

" _I need to keep the pain fresh in my mind."_

He needed it there. To feel its emptiness. He needed it to be Big Boss.

"… maybe when this is all over." He replied.

Mordin did not press. "Also—noticed strange parasitic formation in throat. Unknown parasite. Can and should remove. Would like to further study them."

Snake's eyes shot to Mordin. "You can remove them?"

"Yes. Can perform procedure as soon as opportunity presents self."

To finally be rid of the Wolbachia… He swallowed. He longed to be free of the risk of the parasites evolving as they had so many years ago. And as far as he knew… he was the last to carry them. But if he removed them… what would the salarian do with them? Clone them? Use them for future studies?

He didn't want to risk them being mass produced, or used for war… they should live and die with him.

Snake swallowed. "No. It's too much risk." He said.

"But most curious! Both parasites female in appearance. Can only imagine why—"

"I said no, Mordin."

The salarian breathed. "… There is one last thing."

He lifted and tapped away at his omni-tool. "In body scan. Saw you are… sterile."

Snake nodded.

"And you know because of parasites in your throat?"

"…Yes."

"…Wolbachia presence in your blood stream cause hormonal imbalance and chemical crossover. Very unlikely to be curable."

Snake was quiet before he shook his head. He was an old man now anyway, it did not matter.

"Is that all?"

Mordin let his hands fall to his sides. "Yes. You are picture of excellent health for a man in his sixties." He smiled.

The soldier pushed himself off the table. "Good. We'll be heading back to Omega soon."

"Yes yes. Will stay here this time. Continue research into Collectors. Find way around seeker probes. Will let you know as soon as I find breakthrough."

Snake nodded and left the science bay.

Shortly thereafter, their boots were heavy on the alloy floor as they entered Omega's docking hub again.

EDI's voice chattered over radio. "I have accessed messages between mercenary groups regarding plans to deal with Archangel. There's a recruiting station at Afterlife that may have information on him."

Snake led the team away from the docks and into Afterlife.

Miranda asked the bartender where the recruiting station was and he pointed to a batarian standing by a door which led to a private room.

They walked over to the specified man, a bored look on his face, his Blue Suns armor gleamed in the flashing lights.

"We hear you're recruiting to take on Archangel. We want in." Jacob said.

The batarian gave them a once over, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Hmm. Go on through." He pointed to the doors.

Snake led the group into the VIP room where another batarian in the same armor stood behind a kiosk terminal, his eyes glazed with boredom. He dismissed the merc in shabby armor ahead of him. "Next." He said lazily.

Big Boss stepped forward with Jacob, Miranda and Zaeed in tow.

The batarian blinked. "You four look like you could do some damage. Looking for a good fight?"

Snake nodded and the batarian smirked.

"Then you found the right place." He tapped away at the terminal. "Standard fee is 500 credits each. You get paid when the job's done. If you die, your friends don't collect your share, and you'll need your own weapons and armor..." He looked up with a raised brow.

"Looks like you've got that covered. And no, this doesn't make you a member of the Blue Suns, Eclipse or the Blood Pack. You are a freelancer. Period. Any questions?"

Snake shook his head.

"Then head over to the transport depot outside the club. One of our boys will take you from there." The recruiter informed. "Send in the next guy." He called to the doorman.

The team turned to leave, and as they did, the next recruit stepped in.

"Hey! This where we sign up?" He asked the recruiter.

Snake turned his head to see the young man, he could not have been much older than sixteen. Something bounced in the void in his chest, and he saw a rough, simple necklace in a small bruised and scared hand.

"Aren't you a little young to be freelancing as a merc." He called to the boy, twisting his body to face him.

The young man scowled at him. "I'm old enough. I grew up on Omega, I know how to use a gun." He said defiantly.

Zaeed scoffed. "Old enough to get yourself killed."

"I can handle myself!" The boy protested defensively. He drew a dirty Predator handgun from his belt. The handgun unfolded with a stutter, it looked as if it had seen more action than Snake had in his entire life; its barrel rusted at the tip, the thermal clip did not sit naturally.

"Besides, I just spent 50 credits on this, and I wanna use—!"

Snake lunged forward and reached for the young man's palm, twisting it once over.

Spinning round, he hurled the boy over his shoulder and onto the ground, locking him in place with a knee on his throat.

The kid screamed, his arm twisted to the near point of snapping as Snake gripped his hand and took the gun away from him. He let him go then, inspected the pistol, and pointed it at him.

The young man gripped his arm painfully, and slid himself back a few feet, his eyes moist from fear and pain as he pleaded.

"Hey! Waitwaitwait—"

Snake squeezed the trigger.

The boy felt his chest constrict, his eyes shut as he felt himself get shot. He thought of his mom at home, her mind nearly lost to red sand. His dad wasting away as a janitor, addicted to asari hookers.

He thought of how stupid he was to try and become a merc. Of how stupid he was to take his father's credits to buy the discounted gun. He gagged as he gripped his chest.

But the pain never came, he opened his eyes to see Snake drop the gun in his lap, its thermal clip smoked and hissed.

"Get your money back, kid." Big Boss said, turning away and leaving the private room with the others behind him.

Jacob whistled. "Damn Boss, that was fierce." He said with amusement.

Zaeed snickered. "You scared the piss out of him, doubt he'll show up while we're over there."

"The recruiter said our contact was by the transport bay." Miranda said.

"Let's go." Snake added and led them out of Afterlife.

They found another batarian in Blue Suns armor leaning against a shuttle with a cigarette in his hand and Big Boss approached. "We're here for Archangel."

The batarian nodded. "I hope you're ready. Archangel's been annihilating you freelancers." He threw his cigarette down to the ground and stomped it out. "Get in." He said, the top of the shuttle opened with a slow hum.

The drive over was quiet, the Blue Suns trooper kept to himself, only yawning as he made his way through bustling traffic.

Snake watched curiously as vehicles flew by at supersonic speeds, they weaved around buildings and factories until they entered a tunnel that led deep under the surface. The shuttle stopped and the driver gestured for them to get out.

Their feet hit ground and another batarian greeted them at the stairs. He gestured for them to follow him into the factory. "It's about time they sent me someone who looks like they can actually fight. They tell you what we're up against?" He asked, leading them up a flight of stairs.

Big Boss shook his head.

"We wouldn't get many hires if everyone knew the truth. Archangel's holed up in a building at the end of the boulevard over there. He's got superior position, and the only way in is over a very exposed bridge. It's a killing ground." The batarian said with foreboding. He led them through a door.

"But he's getting tired, making mistakes. We'll have him soon enough. A small team is waiting to infiltrate his hideout, but we need to draw Archangel's fire so they can move in."

"And that's where we come in." Jacob finished for him.

The batarian nodded. "Exactly. You'll be on a distraction team. Head straight over the bridge and keep Archangel busy, so the infiltration team can sneak in behind him."

"That's goddamn suicide." Zaeed chimed, his voice a little more than thrilled at the idea.

The trooper shrugged, stopping outside the entrance of the boulevard. "Pretty much. But you look like you can handle it." He gestured onward."Head up to the third barricade and talk to Sergeant Cathka. He'll tell you where to go in. And watch yourself on the boulevard, Archangel's killed dozens out there already." The batarian said, walking back the way he came.

After he disappeared around the corner, Zaeed spoke first. "In's gonna be easy. Out's gonna be a bitch."

Miranda brushed a few strands of hair from her face. "Let's find him first. Then, we'll figure out how to get back." She suggested, pointing to the open pathway of the boulevard.

Snake agreed. "Let's go find Cathka."

The group moved through a hallway and passed by a group of mercenaries, who Miranda mentioned were the Eclipse Company. They entered another hall where a heavy mech stood deactivated.

They were about to move past it before Miranda paused. "Hold on... maybe we can use the mech to our advantage. Give me a second." She said, walking up to the console set beside it. It was a few minutes before she returned, a sly; but subtle grin on her face.

"Now when they activate it, it'll attack anyone in sight."

Big Boss smirked. "Good thinking." He said and led them through the door and watched an unfortunate vorcha's head explode into wet bits. It hit the ground but a few feet before them.

"Keep low, use cover." Snake said as they crossed the boulevard. A freelancer stood by the wall, his gun shaking in his hands.

"Where's Cathka?" Snake asked.

The man pointed across the way where a batarian worked on welding a large gunship.

Snake crossed the way over, his head low. "Sergeant Cathka?" He called to the batarian.

The alien looked his way and stepped away from the gunship. He lit a cigarette with the blowtorch in his hand before dropping it down.

"You must be the group Salkie mentioned. You're just in time. The infiltration team is about to give us the signal. Archangel won't know what hit him. Got any questions?" He took a long drag from his cigarette.

Snake looked over at the gunship. "Are you going to give air support with the ship?" He asked, eying its peculiar, but not unfamiliar form. It looked light and nimble.

Cathka laughed to himself. "Tarak is the only one who flies her. Besides, she's not quite ready. That bastard Archangel gave her a beating last time she was out there. A few more tweaks, she'll be good as new." He said, eying the bird proudly.

Jacob crossed his arms. "Are you leading the assault?" He asked.

The batarian laughed again. "Tarak doesn't pay me to fight. I just plan the attacks and fix the damn gunship. You freelancers get the privilege of—"

A voice shouted through the intercom at Cathka's terminal. "Target is in sight! We're a go!"

He reached over and tapped a button. "Check. Bravo team—go, go, go!"

Soldiers outside amassed, congregating outside the barricade overlooking the bridge.

Cathka stood straight, snubbing his cigarette under his foot. "Archangel's got quite a surprise waiting for him." He tapped his visor. "But that means no more waiting for me."

He turned back to the gunship as he cracked his knuckles. "Gotta get her back to a hundred percent before Tarak decides he needs her—ulk!"

Snake shoved the batarians face hard into the gunship thrice in succession, his visor cracked hard and damaged, his body fell to the floor, unconscious and broken.

"Let's go." Big Boss said, stepping over the downed batarian as he pulled the Mattock from his back and the others did the same.

They watched as the freelancers climbed the wall, forcing their way down the bridge only to be gunned down moments later.

"What's the plan, Boss?" Miranda asked.

"Hug the walls and stay out his line of fire. Use congested groups as cover." Snake replied, taking his Mattock off safety.

"Archangel hasn't got much time left." Jacob said, checking over his shotgun one last time.

Zaeed did the same with his rifle. "What in the hell are we waiting for then?" He asked rhetorically, revving to go.

Snake took point, and led the group over the barricade, taking cover on one side of the bridge. The other freelancers ran in jagged positions, not utilizing the pillars and stacks of barrels on the bridge and getting gunned down in the process. Archangel attacked with stellar proficiency, his sniper rifle always struck fatal and true. He killed more troops than those that actually made it over the wall.

"Go!" Big Boss shouted over the gunfire, following behind a platoon of freelancers.

They cleared over the bridge and entered the complex, stepping past dead mercenaries along the way. There were three of them hunched over a makeshift bomb, placing segmented parts in order and soldering it together.

Jacob aimed his shotgun. "C'mon, let's give them a surprise of our own."

Snake nodded, and motioned for the others to step into cover as Jacob fired a blast into the explosive. It erupted in a cloud of hot fire and shrapnel, the concussive force sent the freelancers skyrocketing.

Almost all gunfire that had been aimed at the floor above had been redirected at them and Jacob dove behind cover just as his shields depleted.

They returned fire, dropping a few of them. Snake looked to his right, and tapped Zaeed on the shoulder, motioning with his head to the flank.

"Suppressive fire, we're going to flank them." He said into his radio. Miranda and Jacob nodded, shooting into the doorway. Snake and Zaeed moved into the room, shooting and taking out the freelancers by surprise on the bottom floor.

"Form up!" Snake said, and the group amassed in the center of the foyer and moved up the stairs where another two freelancers were working on the door.

Zaeed hit them hard with his rifle, their bodies fell limb, dropping to the floor with deathly hollow.

They approached the door and Miranda stepped forward, pulling up her omni tool as she hacked the lock. The doors opened and they stepped in.

Big Boss looked ahead, seeing the sniper, Archangel poised with his rifle overlooking the bridge. They lowered their weapons as Snake stepped forward.

"Archangel?" He questioned.

The sniper raised a hand, a gesture to say 'one moment' as he aimed carefully. Down below, a freelancer peeked around a corner, and Archangel fired, his target fell hard, dead and breathless.

He then stood with a sigh, lowering his rifle as he removed his helmet. He sat tiredly on the arm of the couch to his side and slouched forward. He had been through hell, Snake could see it, even through his alien features.

Miranda raised a brow. "Garrus Vakarian? Why are you here on Omega?"

He shrugged passively. "Oh you know... Just killing some mercs, plenty to go around. And you guys are?" He asked, his voice smooth and crisp.

Jacob informed him. "We're from Cerberus. I'm Jacob, that's Miranda, Zaeed and this is Big Boss, our CO." Jacob informed.

Archangel raised a brow, adjusting his seating so his foot rested on the table. "Cerberus, huh? Aren't you guys a little... right wing, with aliens?" He asked, inspecting the group through and through.

Miranda shook her head. "The Reapers threaten us all, Mr. Vakarian. Alien and human-alike. We need your help."

Garrus frowned. Or at least what Big Boss interpreted as a frown. "Reapers... Tell you what; give me a hand taking care of these guys trying to kill me, and we'll talk Reapers." He suggested, to which Big Boss looked back to Miranda, who bowed her head in agreement.

Jacob whistled. "Speaking of which, how did one turian manage to get all the merc bands on Omega to work together to take him out." The turian snickered, offering a cocky shrug in response. "It wasn't easy, I really had to work at it. I'm amazed that they teamed up to fight me. They must really hate me." He said coolly.

Big Boss smirked, and cleared the distance between them.

"Exfil won't be easy." He said.

Garrus rose from his place on the arm rest, hoisting his rifle and led them to the window that overlooked the bridge. "No, it won't. That bridge has saved my life... funneling all those witless idiots into scope. But it works both ways." He pointed down the narrow overpass.

"They'll slaughter us if we try to get out that way."

Miranda placed a hand on her hip. "So we just sit here and wait for them to take us out?" She asked sarcastically.

Garrus shook his head. "It's not all that bad. This place has held them off so far. And with the three of you..." He looked down at Snake with an air of optimism.

"I suggest we hold this location, wait for a crack in their defenses, and take our chances."

Zaeed leaned on one foot. "It ain't perfect, but it's a plan." He said, and Big Boss nodded in approval. "Their men are scared, morale is low."

"You're right. Their numbers won't help them in here, anyway." Garrus agreed.

He took a step closer to the window. "Let's see what they're up to." He said and aimed down the bridge with the scope of his rifle.

He was quiet a moment before he relayed what he saw. "Hmm... looks like they know their infiltration team failed. Take a look. Scouts. Eclipse, I think." He offered the rifle to Snake, who took the rifle in hand and peered down the scope. Three mechs dropped over the barricade, inspecting the carnage on the open ground. He focused the shot, held his breath, and let a round fire from the rifle, decapitating the mech.

"More than scouts." He offered the rifle back to the turian, who took it with an amused look.

"Indeed. We'd better get ready. I'll stay up here, I can do a lot of damage from this vantage point." He suggested.

Big Boss nodded.

"Let's give these bastards everything we've got." The turian sniper said, pulling the bolt handle back on his rifle to eject the spent thermal clip.

"Let's get in position, they'll be making their move any minute now." Snake ordered. The others moved found their places and aimed their weapons down the overpass.

The mechs started pouring in and the bullets fell like rain of molten steel. Parts exploded and debris littered the bridge like a robotic graveyard.

Snake reloaded his Mattock, striking two mechs down with a single round to the head.

Garrus gunned three more in quick succession.

Zaeed decimated two approaching with heavy gunfire.

Miranda and Jacob lifted and swung a number of mechs through the air and over the guardrail.

The mechs were soon replaced with organic troops, their movements sporadic and coordinated. Snake and his team managed to keep them pushed back, not one Eclipse merc crossing over the bridge. Soon after, a crane hauled the heavy mech over the barricade.

"Jaroth is sending over the heavy mech!" Garrus shouted over the gunfire.

Jacob snickered. "That problem will take care of itself." He said as the heavy mech powered up and began firing upon the Eclipse forces. The mercenaries concentrated their gunfire on the heavy mech and Garrus breathed easy with a snicker.

They watched the Eclipse troops be beaten back, their bodies littered the bridge in bloody epitaph. It was shortly after that they launched missiles into the heavy mech, decimating it into metal and bits.

Jaroth and his squad appeared, omni-shields in hand as they tried to clear their way over the bridge.

Garrus wouldn't have it. Snake watched as the marksman lined up his shot carefully, ignoring the bullets flying, hitting his shields and the ceramic around him.

He watched the turian breathe deep, and through a crack in the omni-shields, fired off a bullet that struck Jaroth through his right eye. His body hit the ground hard with a thud and his fellow shield carriers backed off, dragging his corpse with them and over the barricade.

Snake lowered his weapon, standing with a relaxed sigh.

Garrus approached him with a cline of his head. "You're kicking ass Big Boss, they barely touched me. And, we got Jaroth in the process. I've been hunting that little bastard for months." He said very pleased with the results of the battle.

Big Boss smirked. "We're not out of the fire yet." He said.

"There's still Blood Pack and Blue Suns over there." Jacob added.

Miranda asked, "Think we can make a break for it?"

Garrus' mandibles flicked in thought. "Maybe... let's see what they're up to." He turned around and looked over the bridge.

He was quiet before he relayed his visual. "They've reinforced the other side... heavily. But they're not coming over the bridge yet. What are they waiting for?"

An explosion shook the complex, as if on cue. A siren blared while fire suppression systems kicked in.

Garrus cursed under his breath as he read over diagnostics on his omni-tool. "Damn it! They've breached the lower level..." He shook his head.

"Well, they had to start using their heads eventually. Big Boss, you and your team better get down there, I'll keep the bridge clear." He suggested, hoisting his rifle from its leaning position against the wall.

Snake looked to Zaeed.

"Got it." The aged merc said and joined Garrus at his side.

The turian bowed his head in gratitude. "Thanks. You'd better get going. Go down a level, the basement door is on the west side of the main room under the stairs. I'll radio directions if you need help, but you've got to get down there quick. Good luck." He said.

Snake gestured for Jacob to take point, and the left the room upstairs. They entered the room he spoke of and descended the stairs quickly to see the open door on the far side. Garrus' voice played over his radio. "Get to the console and close that shutter before they can get through."

Jacob cleared the floor quickly with Miranda and Snake in tow.

"Closing shutter door!" He shouted, slamming his fist against the large red button. A countdown began and he slipped behind cover.

The doors on the far side opened and Blood Pack troops started to pour in.

"Contact!" He shouted and unloaded a few shotgun rounds.

Snake took to the right side of the door, popping out to drop a few rounds into the vorcha trying to push through.

Miranda and Jacob hugged the left corner, punishing all their thermal clips into the towering krogan until he fell forward, just in front of the shutter door.

The shutter slammed shut and a green light shone overhead.

"First shutter secured!" Jacob said, getting back into position behind Big Boss.

"There's two more shutters. Get them closed fast." Garrus radioed.

Big Boss pointed to the right as their next target and they moved into a large loading bay that looked like it doubled as an armory. Immediately they encountered heavy resistance. They managed to push back the Blood Pack, dropping their troops strategically and carefully until they managed to get the large shutter in the back secured.

"Second shutter secured." Miranda announced, returning to Big Boss and Jacob.

Garrus chattered. "One last shutter, there's not too many of them here... yet. Hurry, Big Boss."

The trio backtracked and moved into the entrance on the left side of the stairwell. They punched through two more vorcha, and managed the close the shutter without much resistance.

"Last shutter secured!" Jacob said, stepping away from the door, vorcha hisses could be heard from beyond it, as fists hammered against the reinforced alloy.

"Get back here, Boss! They're coming through the doors." Zaeed shouted, his voice barely cutting through the gunfire around him.

The doors downstairs sparked and flew open and Blood Pack troops pushed through. With them, a heavily armored Krogan, Garm, entered, his face contorted with barely contained rage. He roared and shoved the vorcha next to him further in.

"Raah! Rip them to shreds!" He shouted.

The vorcha's head beside him exploded and he looked up, watching Garrus eject his thermal clip with a smug grin on his face. The krogan growled and stomped his way to the stairs.

"Watch my back! I'll deal with Archangel." He ordered.

Another vorcha fell as Big Boss and his team appeared on the far side of the room.

Snake fired off his Mattock into the nearest Blood Pack trooper. He watched the towering Krogan climb up the steps, his shotgun firing into the room above aimlessly.

When they cleared the bottom floor, Snake climbed the stairs and entered the room to see Garrus' rifle knocked from his hands.

Snake aimed quick and fired into the back of the knee of the krogan.

Garm's knee buckled and he dropped down, looking up in time to see Garrus draw a Carnifex pistol. He pushed the barrel into his mouth and fired more times than necessary. The krogan fell back, trying to breathe in air but only gurgled blood down his chin till he gave way to death.

The turian breathed deep and stepped over the krogan, holstering the pistol and picking up his rifle.

"Thanks for the assist, a second later and I'd be a bottle of ryncol. But we took out Garm and his Blood Pack. This day just gets better and better. He was one tough son of a bitch."

Zaeed stepped forward. "Only Blue Suns left, I say we hit 'em hard, fight our way out." He said, his Revenant slung on his shoulder.

Garrus nodded. "I think he's right. Tarak's got the toughest group, but nothing we haven't faced yet. Besides, he won't be expecting us to meet him head-on—"

"Gunship!" Jacob shouted. The group hit the ground fast as gunfire stormed in through the window, shooting hot metal over their heads and into the surrounding furniture and walls.

Garrus rolled across the floor to take cover behind the nearest pillar. He checked around as the gunship dipped and saw cables descending from the upper floors.

"They're offloading troops! Watch your backs!" He shouted and aimed his rifle.

The Blue Suns mercenaries dove in from outside the window, their guns firing down the loft.

The gunship made a pass into the open balcony that Garrus had once used to down any troop that stepped over the threshold of the barrier across.

"Gunship! nine o'clock!" Big Boss pulled Miranda with him to take cover behind the metal planter, their shields met hot energy as the Blue Suns mercs cleared the distance to them.

Snake went prone while Miranda sat on one knee, using her other knee to keep her bullet spread tight.

The others dove behind the railing of the window in front of the gunship.

"Boss, I'll draw the gunships fire, Tarak wants me more than you. Keep those Blue Suns off me in the meantime." Garrus relayed over the radio.

Snake nodded, rising from his laying position. "Concentrate all fire on Blue Suns!" He shouted to the others. They all acknowledged and pushed toward the far window where more Blue Suns jumped down into the loft.

Garrus used his omni-tool to hit the gunship with an Overload.

"Come on Tarak, you ugly son of a bitch." He shouted, rising from his planter and firing a few shots from his sniper rifle.

The gunship fired, raining bullets down at Garrus' feet as he dove behind the nearest wall.

Snake and his company continued to repel the Blue Suns back, when another explosion filled the air from the main floor. Jacob peered over the ledge. "Blue Suns downstairs! Engaging!" He shouted, firing his Predator down into their numbers.

Snake turned his head to Miranda and gestured with his head to provide assistance.

She nodded and rushed over as Zaeed and Big Boss kept the window covered, peppering arriving Blue Suns with gunfire.

Garrus delivered more rounds into the gunship, watching the slugs pelt off its shields. He side stepped behind the wall and set the sniper rifle down, picking up the Vindicator assault rifle at his hip. He locked and loaded, and tucked the butt-stock into his shoulder before he leaned out, and fired bursts into the gunships shields. His visor read that he was making progress, his shields nearly...

"Ahh!" Tarak shouted over his intercom, the gunship disappeared from view, smoking near the front windshield.

Garrus inspected the balcony and saw nothing, as well as didn't hear the ship above or below, right or left. He switched the Vindicator for his Viper Sniper Rifle, and moved to join Big Boss.

The gunship appeared, disabling a cloaking shield.

"Archangel!" Tarak's voice shouted, the front of the ship slammed into the window, and gunfire raged from its main cannon.

Garrus' shields sparked and crackled until depleted and his armor took the brunt on the onslaught. He fell back from the force of the gunfire, and scrambled behind the nearest planter.

"You think you can screw with the Blue Suns!" The batarian in the cockpit cried ferociously.

If he could just get a quick potshot at the engine, as he did before, then maybe Garrus could—

Snake dropped the mercenary with a quick shot to the cranium and looked back to see Garrus, an explosion at his feet as he was launched into the air by a missile.

"Archangel!" Snake shouted, twisting around to the window and firing off his Mattock at the exposed windshield.

His rounds bounced off and the gunship pulled away from the exposed window. It then appeared in the window it first shown itself and fired off missiles into the room blindly.

The group ducked low, and Big Boss glowered over at Garrus from his position.

The turian didn't move. The side of his face and armor smoked and hissed.

"Damn it…" He whispered.

"Now! You'll die!" Tarak screamed firing off more missiles into the room.

"Boss!" Jacob cried over the radio. "That omni-tool has an Incinerate function attached to it! When you're ready, press the Action button, then swing at the gunship! It'll weaken its armor on impact!" He informed, holstering his shotgun and drawing his pistol.

Snake did as he said— he stepped out and threw his prosthetic arm forward like he would with a ball. The omni-tool launched a homing fireball, it danced in the air and struck the cockpit window, leaving the ceramic view molten and crisp.

Tarak sat in view, his voice a screaming echo through the speaker, his face drenched in frustration and anger before he disappeared from the window and into the other, trying to flank the group.

"Concentrate fire!" Snake shouted, behind the planter, just as the bullets stopped flying into the loft. They all popped out from their corners, combining their gunfire on the exposed cockpit. Gurgled breaths bounced out of the cockpit and over the intercom. The gunship veered off, spinning away from the window.

"Archangeeeel!" Tarak's voice screamed as an explosion shook the building at the very core.

Snake and the group rushed over to the fallen turian. He dropped to a knee and placed a hand on the snipers shoulder.

"Archangel." He whispered.

Garrus' eyes flew open, and he heaved in air through tight lips and mandibles. His breathing was harsh and blocked, he spat blood in the shade of navy blue onto the ceramic floor. His fingers wrapped tightly around the barrel of the Viper sniper rifle beside him.

He hissed in pain as Snake turned him over onto his back.

He wasn't entirely sure about turian anatomy, but the way his eyes were beginning to blink rapidly and dilate, told him he was slipping into shock.

Miranda joined him at his side, and they inspected the turians wounds together.

"Third degree burns located on the right of his face and neck, lower mandible damage and shrapnel puncture wounds to the throat. Applying medigel." She said, pulling out a pack of gelatin and applying it to the snipers face. He hissed in response, and Snake nodded in approval.

"Feel the pain, let it keep you awake." He said and looked to Miranda. "We need to get him out of here."

Jacob ran to the first aid station, pulling the stretcher out and putting it together quickly. They carefully placed the turian onto the board and straightened his head, securing it with a brace. He coughed and hissed, trying to break free.

Snake read his movements, knowing what the man wanted. He reached for the sniper rifle and placed it in his hands.

"Stay awake." He ordered the turian, who blinked and breathed heavily as they hoisted him up and out of the apartment turned battlefield.

It was hours later. They had brought the turian sniper into the medbay of the Ishmael, the medical officer—Dr. Michel, had taken over care for the downed sniper.

Snake had offered to assist, but she dismissed him and told him to leave it to her.

And she was right, he had no clue what turian anatomy was like. He had no idea what medicine they needed, nor what treatment to administer.

Still, his instinct was to be in there, helping the medical officer; for he remembered a life time ago, that was him.

For now, he sat, and waited. He looked out into the black of space on the starboard deck. The doors behind him opened and he shifted to see who it was.

Jacob stepped in, he scratched the back of his neck. "They did what they could for Garrus, but he took a bad hit. The docs corrected with surgical procedures and some cybernetics. Best we can tell, he'll have full functionality, but..." He trailed off as the doors opened again behind him.

The turian, Archangel, stepped in, his throat and a portion of his cheek were bandaged, while the rest of the lower half of his jaw was red and tender.

Jacob scuffed admirably. "Tough son of a bitch. Didn't think he'd be up yet."

Snake stood, a weight fell from his shoulders.

The turian sniper entered the observation deck, the door shutting behind him.

"Nobody would give me a mirror. How bad is it?" He asked jokingly.

Big Boss smirked. "You're gonna have some scars." He said.

The turian groaned, prodding his face gently. "Ah—probably for the best. Everyone was hitting on me too much as it was. Time for someone else to get a fair shot."

Jacob chuckled before he saluted Snake. "Gotta count inventory, I'll be up in the Armory, Boss." He gave a curt nod to Garrus.

"Glad you made it." He said and exited the dock.

The turian nodded in response, and when the door shut, he groaned into his hand, rubbing at the bandage painfully.

"So... Cerberus, huh? How'd they get you?" He asked.

Big Boss shrugged. "They pulled me out of the freezer."

Garrus snickered, but winced at the movement. "Ah... damn, don't make me laugh, my face is barely holding together as it is." He looked at Snake who only shifted on his feet.

"You're kidding."

Snake shook his head. "Cryogenic stasis."

"How long?"

"190 years."

The turian scratched the back of his neck. "Damn, that's rough. I've read what human history was like back then, things must be pretty different now."

Snake disagreed. "The faces are different, the people are the same." He replied.

Garrus grunted. "…Well... you should at least know the truth, I doubt they told you everything. You've heard of Commander Shepard?"

Snake nodded again.

"... I was part of the Normandy crew back then, before she went down. We had a couple of run in's with Cerberus during our mission against Saren and Soverign. Bad stuff; super-soldier turians, experiments on Rachni and Thorian Creepers that killed a big number of people. Hell, they even tried to kill us." Garrus informed.

Snake took in the new information... Something the Illusive Man failed to mention.

He sighed internally. "... Right now, they're a necessity. From what I've heard, they're the only ones investigating these missing colonists. From what I've seen, they aren't tied by government laws." He replied.

Garrus nodded. "For what it's worth, I'm with you. Anything to take those Reaper bastards out."

"I'm fit for duty whenever you need me, Big Boss. I'll settle in, and see what I can do at the forward batteries. Find me there if you need anything." The turian turned and left, leaving Snake starboard.

The tired soldier sat, leaning forward on his knees, and massaged his brow. Was The Illusive Man just another Zero? Was Cerberus another Cypher, or Patriots? History often repeats itself.

Out here, in the hull of a starship, he longed for the back and forth of Ocelot and Kaz, for their guiding hand into making a decisive decision.

He pushed himself forward till he sat on the ground, his back to the pew-like bench that faced the void of space. And he lost himself in the darkness, folding his arms around his knees, and resting his forehead upon his forearms. He sunk into his thoughts, and sifted through them. Some, he knew, were his old self, and the others were that of Big Boss. They conflicted each other. They were tied to each other by loyalty, but now one could not be further from the other. He found some solace in that, it was a resemblance to the dynamic Diamond Dogs had.

He saw their bodies then. Bloody and skewed around.

Snake's eyes flew open and he looked around, but they were gone, he was in the starboard observation deck, and he stared back into space, to pull himself from sinking too low into the sea of his memories.


	7. Chapter VI: Portraits of Funerals

**Mass Effect: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow**

 _Let me know what you think! AThousandSuns_

 **Chapter VI: Portraits of Funerals**

The stench of death pervaded the air. Blood was thick on the soles of Big Boss's boots, and he could taste salty copper in his mouth. He could feel the death on his skin, in his sinew, and in his bones. He stood before the steel door— the door that would take him away, outside of the corridor of blackness that gripped him so tightly.

He had been here before.

Always. Always when he pulls on the door, it never opens. They call his name behind him, in the shadow and red. They whisper and croon for him in a bittersweet lullaby.

He turned ever so slowly, his heart an anchor to the fear of what hid from him.

And he dragged it with him, and entered the long corridor with a harrowed breath.

The walls dripped and oozed in red, distant screams echoed all around him. Voices pleaded for their lives to be returned to them. He tried hard to hold his breath, to block the horrid stench about him, but when he finally breathed, the smell was only worse.

He shut his eyes, and took the first step forward. Blood rained over him in tiny tear drops from heaven. He tried hard to look straight ahead, but their cries and woes of terror forced him to look down. Down into their eyes, empty and soulless.

Dogs, victims of their master.

Each step was an echo of despair, and each footfall made the anchor weigh more and more behind him.

On his last step, his heart sank, the anchor descended, and he fell to the floor with its weight, to his knees, to the river of blood.

He was surrounded by their corpses— his boys and girls, dead by his hand— their Reaper.

They sang in wallows, and filled him with anguish.

And he screamed, a voiceless scream into the hell that circled him. 

The Ishmael groaned as the ship exited FTL travel. The suddenness sent Big Boss' stomach into a fit, and he swallowed hard to keep his rations down.

Joker's voice came in over the intercom. "Approaching Purgatory space station, docking permission granted, ETA, five minutes."

He rose from the chair of his desk.

It had been several hours since Garrus Vakarian joined them, and he had slept for only three of them. It was a restless sleep. It always was.

The turian sniper—who proved to be a relatable spirit— hunkered down in the forward batteries. He had talked in depth on the ships firing power, how it compared to its previous design of the Normandy SSV.

He was almost giddy about the new ship, making an aside that Shepard should have joined up if this was what they offered to civilian frigates. Snake had mentioned that from what he had heard, turians weren't all that common in the ranks of Cerberus.

"Well, signing up for Cerberus wouldn't be the first bad call I made." Garrus joked, but he paused and his face fell somberly, if but for a split second.

When Snake asked what happened on Omega, to make every mercenary band there try to kill him, Garrus was quiet in contemplation before speaking.

He told him how after the Normandy was destroyed, he went back to his old job at C-Sec—a cop, but he quickly found there was just too much red tape slowing him down from doing anything worthwhile.

He had quit and traveled to Omega, a place riddled with criminals nobody could touch. Its lawlessness gave him free reign to do as he pleased.

"People here needed someone to believe in. Someone to stand up to the local thugs." Garrus had said.

When asked how he got a whole squad, he said it was pretty similar to how Big Boss introduced himself; he shot a bunch of people and then had a polite conversation after it was all over, but that they were mostly mercs who wished to atone, security agents tired of playing by the rules. He had given them chance to make a difference.

"And now they're dead. Shows what I know..." He told Big Boss. Snake knew how he felt. He knew exactly what that pain was festering into.

Garrus had shifted on his feet, he had tightened and clenched his fists in suppressed rage. "It was my own damn fault too... One of my people betrayed me. A turian named Sidonis. He drew me away just before the mercs attacked my squad, then he disappeared. Everyone except me is dead because of him. And because I didn't see it coming."

The turian turned to Snake, and the man noticed that, with the way the light behind the turian silhouetted him, he looked like a devil, his eyes angry and fierce with fiery vengeance.

Snake asked him if he knew where he was now, but Garrus shook his head, mentioning that he lost him after he left Omega.

"One day I'll find him... and correct that."

And then, Big Boss saw him— Kaz— He saw a man broken with fury— for someone to answer for the losses of his arm, and of his leg... for all the comrades he lost. He needed someone to pay.

"Kaz..." He whispered.

The conversation ended there, he did not know what to tell the man. His life had once been consumed by vengeance. And when it was reaped, what did he feel? Nothing. He remembered he pulled the trigger on Skull Face, more than once, and he felt only the sliver of justice before it was dark inside again.

He exited the elevator and entered the CIC of the ship.

It was very early in the morning, a few, if not most of the crew were just waking at the announcement of docking. Only a handful of members were on the deck, Kelly Chambers was nowhere to be seen. He approached the terminal near the star map and struggled to look through his online mail.

After they recruited Garrus, The Illusive Man had sent more dossiers to build his team with; one of them was a person of interest by the name of Jack, a convict currently serving time on the space station, Purgatory. The other was a master thief, a woman named Kasumi Gato. Curiosity made him choose to look into recruiting the criminal, Jack first.

The Ishmael flew in close, the massive space station gleamed against the smooth contours of its hull, a monstrosity in size compared to the frigate. The ship docked with careful precision, until it was firmly locked in place airlock-to-airlock.

Snake prepped his team, bringing Garrus, Miranda, and Mordin with him. They armed up and entered the space station with Garrus to his right, Miranda to his left and Mordin close behind.

He was originally hesitant to bring the salarian, but he insisted, saying that a break from research would let him come back with new ideas, and possible samples.

Snake relented, he had no real qualms, as long as he carried his own weight and watched their backs.

An armed guard stood to greet them. A quick glance revealed their armor to be that of the Blue Suns, putting Snake and the others on high alert.

"Welcome to the Purgatory, sir. Your package is being prepped, and you can claim it shortly. As this is a high-security vessel, you'll need to relinquish your weapons before we proceed." The guard stated.

Big Boss looked to Garrus and Miranda, then shook his head.

The guard moved to rebuttal, but a turian approached them from behind him.

"Everyone stand down. Cerberus agents, I'm Warden Kuril, and this is my ship." He greeted with authority.

"Your weapons will be returned on the way out. You must realize this is just a standard procedure." He tried to assure.

Snake stared at the man, and offered a slow shake of his head as his response. The warden stared back, his brow furrowed in aggravation.

The turian relented with a flick of his mandibles. "Let them proceed. Our facility is more than secure enough to handle four armed guests." He ordered his men.

The guard before the team stepped aside, and Big Boss led them up the steps onward.

Warden Kuril guided them to the next area. "We're bringing Jack out of cryo. As soon as the funds clear, you can be on your way. I'll bring you to out-processing for the pickup."

They entered a long corridor with thick glass on either side to display the enormous housing facility.

"Cellblock Two. As you can see, we keep tight control over the population." Kuril played tour guide as he led them, gesturing toward the window.

Snake watched as cranes lifted and moved various units to and fro, as well as observed the guards leading prisoners across the floor to their cells.

"Each prisoner's cell is a self-contained, modular unit. I've blown a few out of the airlocks as an example." He stopped to show them a prisoner who entered one of the units, and a crane lifted and placed it into one of the blocks.

"This ship is made up of thirty cell blocks identical to this one— we house thousands of criminals." He led them further in.

"We can put this whole place in lockdown on a moment's notice. Nothing goes wrong here." He said.

"What can you tell us about Jack?" Garrus asked.

Kuril stopped with a raised brow. "Cerberus hasn't told you? Jack, is the meanest handful of violence and hate I've ever encountered. Dangerous, crazy, and very powerful."

Miranda clicked her tongue. "Just what we need, more crazy."

Garrus snickered. "He had me at, meanest."

Mordin held a finger to his chin. "Hm, mean, violent, hateful, dangerous, crazy, and very powerful? Must be krogan—no— named Jack. Must be man, _sized_ , like krogan." He thought to himself.

Kuril laughed. "You'll see soon enough." He gestured for them to follow.

"Have there been escape attempts?" Garrus asked curiously.

Kuril shook his head. "We're in space— they have nowhere to go, and they know it. But still, we exercise extreme caution. These are dangerous individuals. We have many ways to control the population."

Snake watched through the window as two prisoners began to argue, one shoving the other. A guard nearby opened his omni-tool and the two convicts were separated by two glowing spheres effectively.

Of all the prisons he had seen, this one seemed to be the strongest and most civil. It sure beat the gulags or Afghan hot boxes.

When they reached a fork in the hall, Kuril stopped.

"I'm going to confirm that the funds from Cerberus cleared. Jack is straight down this hallway. Just keep going through to the observational bay above cryo. I'll catch up with you later."

He pointed and gave Snake one last look before disappearing round the corner.

The team continued down the winding hall 'til they entered the observational bay.

A guard, a man balding at the crown, stood in front of a console that overlooked the cryo chamber. "You must be the Cerberus agents. We're just pulling Jack out now, it'll be just a sec'."

He pressed a few keys on the terminal and swiped. The room below blinked red, and three heavy mechs powered on, training their sights on the platform ahead.

A cylindrical pod hissed and steamed as it began to rise from the floor. Locking mechanisms spun and unlocked, and the cryo-pod opened, cold mist dripped onto the alloy below.

The lights in the room switched from white to red, and the heavy mechs below powered on, and stepped closer with weapons poised.

The pod sat exposed, the cold mist disappeared to reveal its inhabitant— a woman, her head shaved, her figure short and slim, and heavily tattooed.

Garrus felt his mandibles flick in surprise. "Uh... that's Jack?"

The woman's eyes flared open, and she tore herself from her restraints and threw herself from the pod.

"Oh sh— anesthesia isn't working, Jack is trying to escape!" The guard shouted, tapping away at the console.

An alarm sounded, and the woman screamed in blind fury, her face contorted with rage. The veins in her neck pulsed as she glared at Snake through the glass.

The heavy mechs moved in on her, readying their weapons.

She let out another scream and charged forward, reeling a fist back and throwing it into the nearest mech, before she disappeared from view. The cellblock shook with an explosion, and one of the heavy mechs flew into the cryo-pod.

Snake stepped to the glass to peer into the room below, but the girl was gone.

Warden Kuril's voice screamed over the intercom. "What happened?!"

"Jack escaped! She's loose on the ship." The guard informed.

"Spirits! Activate systems! Secure Jack!" Kuril shouted.

The doors around them flickered from green to red, locking down.

Garrus turned to Big Boss. "We need to get down there, Boss."

The guard shook his head. "Impossible. While security systems are activated, the ship is in lockdown."

Snake turned to Mordin. "Can you get us out?"

"Most likely." The salarian stepped to the console.

The guard raised his Predator at the group. "You can't! If you override the system, every door will open on this ship!" He protested.

Mordin paused, looking back at Snake, awaiting an order.

If they opened every door on the cellblock, every prisoner would be unleashed. Their odds of escape were slim, since they were in space, but with thousands of prisoners on board, a few escapees was inevitable... But if they did not, they were stuck here, and they would lose a very powerful team member.

Snake sighed inwardly, and gave Mordin a nod of approval. The salarian motioned for the guard to step away at the console.

The balding man stood defiantly, glancing between the formidable team before defiantly stepping away from the console to the far side of the room.

Mordin tapped at the terminal, and it was in short time before the doors changed from red, to green. Another alarm sounded over the intercom and an automated woman's voice echoed through a storm of buzz.

"Warning. Warning. Ship lockdown, overridden." It crackled

"Let's go." Snake ordered, taking point as he led the group in a file out the room, down a ramp, into the room below.

"Most impressive." Mordin whispered as they entered the room Jack had been in to see all three heavy mechs destroyed and ripped apart. A hole in the wall of the opposite side of the room clapped and sparked with electricity.

They followed the path of the enraged woman as Kuril screamed over the intercom.

"All guards: restore order! Lethal force authorized! But don't kill Jack! Techs: lockdown! Lockdown!" He shouted.

They battled their way through the first cellblock, pushing past guard and prisoner alike.

Garrus whistled at the devastation left in the wake of Jack. "This girl is powerful, but she lacks subtlety." He mused.

A catwalk above collapsed to the floor and they double timed it across the cellblock.

Warden Kuril continued to shout threats and orders over the station wide intercom, his voice growing more desperate and vicious, all he seemed to care about was retrieving Jack unharmed.

They came near the exit, Snake saw a guard, gasping for air, gripping his neck tightly. He looked up at Big Boss before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, his last breath a gurgle of blood.

"Stab wounds all over his neck and face." Snake said, crouching and shutting the dead man's eyes.

"Rushed by prisoners with improvised weapons… Shows you what kind of people these prisoners are. I heard stories about their treatment of prisoners here, but it seems in the galaxy's best interests." Garrus said as Snake stood.

He was inclined to agree. They may have unleashed a torrent of criminals on the galaxy, just to retrieve Jack. He swallowed the unease he felt and led them forward.

They continued to fight their way through the next cellblock, clearing the room of guards who turned their weapons on them, and prisoners who picked them up to try their luck against the squad.

The station shook violently as they entered the next sector, where armed prisoners attempted to gun down Warden Kuril, who stationed himself above.

The turian blasted his rifle, striking down a fleeing prisoner from behind.

As Snake stepped into the loading bay, Kuril's brow furrowed, and he fired blindly in their direction.

"Damn Cerberus agents! You ruined EVERYTHING. I was going to live like a king!" He fired randomly at them. "But you're too much trouble. At least I can recapture Jack!"

Garrus scoffed. "Shouted the Mad King moments before his death!" He shouted over the pillar and fired off a few shots from his Viper. The bullets bounced off the Warden's glowing armor.

Kuril shot at them from the hip. "I do the hard things civil governments are unwilling to do! This is for the good of the galaxy!"

Snake looked back to Miranda who hunched behind her cover beside him. "Why is he glowing?" He asked.

"Tech Armor. It's an energy suit that boosts his shield strength. We could unload our entire thermal clips into him, and he'd still have shields enough left to fully recharge while we reload." Miranda informed.

Mordin and Garrus shot their weapons around the corners of their barricade and pillar, dropping Blue Suns forces that charged into the loading bay.

Snake leaned out and fired a few rounds at Kuril. His shots bounced off his tech armour, only serving to stumble him backward, but not by much.

Garrus' voice chimed in over the radio. "Too far for an effective Overload, and he's a crack-shot with that Revenant. Any ideas?"

'He's got higher ground advantage as well…' Snake thought to himself, popping out his thermal clip, and replacing it with another.

Mordin fired over his barricade. "Suggest unconventional actions— cellular units on wall. Shutdown affected all locks. Could attempt to drop unit on Warden!"

Snake looked from his cover, Kuril's bullets hissed past his head. He was right. The entire wall before them, was lined with cell units, doors ajar. Some were not even set securely in their place.

"How?" He asked.

"Would suggest console." A bullet whizzed by Mordin's face.

"But too close to Kuril." He finished.

Big Boss pondered. It was a sound idea, but how would they pull out one of the units from the wall?

He looked to Miranda. "Can you use your biotech?"

The woman found it hard to keep a straight face but managed a slight smirk at his mispronunciation. "Biotics." She corrected impulsively.

"I could try. But I'll need cover." She added.

He nodded, turning back to Garrus. "We'll flank his right, draw his fire. Mordin, cover Miranda."

The salarian scientist agreed, and Garrus nodded as well.

"I'll take point. Suppressive fire." He said.

Snake leaned out with his rifle, pumping untrained rounds at the Warden as Garrus moved from behind his pillar, over to the toppled cell unit.

He then leaned out, and drew Kuril's fire as Snake rushed to join him.

Eventually, they were on the far right side, and Kuril fired his rifle brazenly.

"I could have been set for the rest of my life! Living off Jack!" He shouted angrily, as Snake launched an Incinerate at him. The turian dove out of the flying plasma bombs direction before firing more rounds at the group.

Miranda stood, her body a glowing haze of blue, one of the cellular units above the turian scraped forward just barely. She pulled hard, and the unit pulled with her.

A bullet flew past her head, as more Blue Suns mercenaries joined the fray.

Mordin launched a barrage of gunfire in their direction, before throwing a Cryo Blast at them, freezing one of the troopers in his place.

"Must hurry!" He shouted.

"I'm trying!" Miranda retorted and pulled harder. Her head felt as if it were close to bursting into an atom bomb, she found it harder and harder to breathe the more she struggled.

The unit hauled out from the wall, juddering until it sat halfway out.

Her brow creased and sweated, as she continued to glow blue, and brighter as she forced the unit from the wall.

Kuril's eyes darted as a bullet ricocheted off his chest plate, he spied Miranda, her aura a distraction in the corner of his eye, and furrowed his brow plate. "I'll kill you all—!" The shriek of metal on metal above, drove him spin around and peer up to see the cell unit floating overhead.

And Miranda released, falling to the ground with a thump.

The warden's screams were drowned out as the unit dropped onto him, crushing him beneath its mass, rending him into a putrid pool of blood and bones and fire. Sparks and debris shot into the air as the unit groaned on the ground.

Garrus stood, scanning the loading bay with his visor.

"We're clear." He said, grabbing a thermal clip from a dead guard for his rifle.

Snake stood, and rushed over to Miranda with the turian in tow.

Mordin, pushed her delicately onto her back, and inspected her. He lifted her eyelid to see her pupils flicker and danced away from the light he shined in them.

Blood swelled and oozed slowly from her nose, dripping down the smooth curve of her cheek.

She groaned, but made no effort to move. "I'm fine…" She uttered tiredly.

Mordin peered up at Snake with a positive gesture of his head. "She will be okay. Will need food and water. Rest."

Snake nodded. "Move." He said, and knelt down beside the Cerberus agent while Mordin stood away. He scooped Miranda in his arms, lifting her and adjusting her weight without discomforting her.

Garrus stepped past them. "I'll take point. Mordin, bring up the rear." He said and headed for the exit. The salarian covered them from behind as they exited the loading bay and headed down the tunnel leading back to their ship.

From the gate beyond, they could hear gunfire, but it lasted only moments.

The group took cover behind the right side of the wall before Garrus and Mordin entered first.

They were greeted by that of a furious girl, her fist bashed against the window, and she glowed a pale blue when she kicked a dead mercenary high into the air and away from her. A string of curses escaped her breath.

She turned to face the group, her brow a furrow. She squeezed her fist tight, the glow of blue danced on her skin in a terrifying ballet.

"What the hell do you want?" She seethed.

Garrus raised a hand and lowered his weapon as a gesture of trust. "Jack, relax, we're busting you out."

Jack shook her head as she paced left to right.

"Fuck off. I'm not going anywhere with you. You're Cerberus."

Mordin stepped forward, lowering his weapon with Garrus. "Need you. Here to ask for help." He interjected.

"You show up in a Cerberus frigate to take me away somewhere. You think I'm stupid?" The woman scoffed, gesturing to the Ishmael outside. Snake followed her gaze and saw the Cerberus logo gleam in the light of the nearest start on the hull of the ship. He exhaled slowly.

Miranda stirred against him, and he adjusted her weight accordingly.

He began to walk past Jack, who stepped away from him.

"This ship is going down. You can come with us, or die here." He said as he continued down the corridor toward the airlock that would lead them back to the Ishmael.

Mordin followed after Big Boss, taking point.

Garrus was all that remained in the hall with her. He moved to follow the others, but stopped and turned to face her.

"Look— we're flying Cerberus colours, but we're far from what Cerberus is known as. Come with us, and at least hear what we have to offer." He said.

The girl paused. She looked back to the ship, then back to Garrus, and swallowed.

"… Shit." She said and nodded, following the turian after Big Boss.

They exited Purgatory and entered the Ishmael. The ship unfastened itself from the space station and flew away, jumping away at FTL speeds just as the Purgatory exploded into millions of bits and pieces, scattering the system in debris, shrapnel, and element zero.

Big Boss entered the med-bay, and set the unconscious woman down in one of the beds ordered by Dr. Michel, as Mordin filled her in on the womans condition.

Miranda's eyes open slightly, and she turned her head to Big Boss. "Did I get him?" She asked tiredly.

Snake smirked and nodded.

If she saw him past her tired eyes, she made no gesture, falling into a deep sleep.

He stood there for a moment, before he pulled one of the blankets from the overhead compartment and placed it over her. He turned to the female doctor conversing with Mordin.

"She'll be okay?" He asked.

Dr. Michel nodded and she set her tablet on the desk. "Yes, but she mustn't abuse her biotics like that again, she can risk serious brain damage if her L5 implant is shorted out, or worse." The doctor said, in a delicious French accent.

Big Boss nodded and left the med-bay, but not without a final glance to the sleeping agent.

Garrus and Jacob stood outside, the turians arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

Jacob, a serious look on his face as he paced. He stood tall when Snake approached.

"How is she?" He asked.

Snake bowed his head. "She's fine. The doctor is looking after her."

Jacob sighed with relief. "Thank god."

Garrus whistled. "Hell of a thing she did, I've only seen asari do that kind of thing."

Snake nodded. He had watched her and Jacob throw people around with their… biotics. He was not entirely sure how it worked, his only frame of reference would have been the SKULLS from '85, slinging rocks at him through the air.

"Anyway, Jack is down at the sub-level, below engineering. Said she wants to talk with you." Garrus said, offering a brisk nod to the veteran as he returned to the forward batteries.

"I'm just gonna see how Miranda's doin'. Catch up with you later, Boss." Jacob said with a salute before he disappeared in the elevator.

Snake walked to the elevator and descended to the engineering deck below.

He had stopped down here once before, when he was inspecting the ship. Zaeed had set himself up in the disposal block, and he had a brief introduction with Gabriella Daniels and Kenneth Donnelly.

He found their close banter a welcome sight, a semblance of what Outer Heaven was before the fall. Friends, families, and sometimes lovers, maintaining a home for themselves in places that did not want them anymore.

That was one of the reasons why he was never strict on military regulations. His men and him, were always more family than soldiers in arms.

After asking Daniels where Jack was, Snake descended down the steps to the lower levels of Engineering.

The girl sat alone, her face half hidden in the shadows that loomed about. She looked up at Snake and offered a curt nod.

"Hey. I wanted to ask you something." She greeted.

Snake nodded, running his bionic hand over his scratchy beard.

"You sprung me and asked for my help. Why?"

He shook his head. "Human colonies are going missing. We're looking for them. They're being taken by a group called the Collectors."

Jack raised a brow. "Collectors?"

Snake nodded.

"Shit, only ever heard nightmares about them in the Terminus Systems."

She leaned forward, so the entirety of her face was exposed to the dark red that illuminated the wall before her.

"Well, I've survived this long by not doing favours, and taking what I need. You want my help, I want something too." She said pointedly.

Snake shifted on his feet.

"I'm positive there are Cerberus databases on this ship. I want to look at those files. See what Cerberus' got on me. You want me on your team, let me go through those databases." She said, now standing from her seated position.

Snake thought for a moment. He was not sure he even had the ability to extend that offer to her. But what harm could it do? If the Illusive Man was indeed keeping secrets, it was best to root them out and expose them. Snake would not become a tool for Zeroes and Patriots, not again.

So, he nodded, and agreed to give her access to the files, as soon as Miranda was up.

The girl scoffed, but complied. "Just tell me when I have access. Till then, I'll be down here when you need me."

Snake turned to leave, the gesture of his head an acknowledgement of the deal made.

She returned to her seating position, and took in hand the tablet she had been using before.

"Name's Jack, by the way. Who are you?" She asked after him.

He stopped at the foot of the alloy stairwell, and turned back to face her. "Big Boss."

"Big Boss?" She stifled a laugh, as if she did not believe him.

"I'm not calling you that. Any other names?" She prodded.

He pondered for a moment before he spoke. "Snake."

Jack raised a brow, but went with it. "Thanks… for busting me out, Snake." She said.

He could hear the genuine in her voice, though it was masked by trained sardonic vigor. He nodded in response, and returned back to the CIC. Kelly turned and saluted him as he exited the elevator. "Big Boss, you have unread messages at your terminal."

Snake stepped over to the console and conjured the menu; quicker than last time as he started to become used to the operating system.

He remembered an older Big Boss, one that used to struggle with the use of computers. It had taken him ages it seemed, to get used to the iDroid when R&D presented it to him.

Snake, however, found computers and technology were more of the same over the years. Even now, centuries later, holo-keyboards were still modeled after QWERTY keyboards, and guns still fired straight when you aimed them. Everything still required the use of a button or an instrument of some sort.

He recalled seeing the movie, Aliens, in his time at Mother Base with his Diamond Dogs during Peace Day.

They had decided to play the movie on a projector, against one of the walls of the Medical Platform. He did not remember much from it, not at all— but he remembered the machines, he remembered the rusted and beaten tools; dirty from overuse.

This world was not much different from what he saw. As they explored the Omega station, he had seen many of the same things that he remembered from that horror film— rust and dirt, used tools and machines, and jobs people did not really want. The only difference was the aliens were numerous in species, intelligent and carried guns as well.

He blinked before he realized that Chambers was trying to get his attention. He cast her a curious look.

"I was just saying; Mr. Moreau wished to speak with you when you had a moment." She informed him.

He nodded and walked through the CIC to the front of the ship, where Joker sat silently.

"Joker." Snake called to him.

The pilot spun around with a loud shush. "Shhh-shshsh-sh!"

Snake stared down at him stoically.

"I can tell… when it's listening." He whispered under his breath.

The sphere beside him blinked in response. "I am always listening Mr. Moreau." EDI replied.

"I _know_!" Joker groaned audibly.

Snake smirked and he leaned on one foot, and crossed his arms over his chest. "You needed something?"

Joker nodded. "I got a hail from my old CO in the Alliance, David Anderson. He asked me the usual things— what I'm up to, how my aunt is, where the hell I've been and why I haven't reported for duty. I _may_ have let slip the mission details about Reapers and Collectors, he says he wants to meet you."

Big Boss shifted on his feet. He remembered from the recent history he skimmed that the Systems Alliance was humanity's governing body on the galactic scale.

"Why?"

Joker looked at the floating sphere to his right before leaning forward to Snake, and covered the view of his mouth with an open hand as he whispered. "I _may_ have told him Cerberus was looking into the missing colonies and that they… brought you out of the freezer."

"Mr. Moreau; that is a violation of Cerberus conduct." EDI's voice informed.

Joker scoffed and backpedaled. "I didn't tell him about mission details!" He defended. "He was captain for the Normandy, Shepard didn't trust anybody more than him. He says he might have information that could help us. Off the record."

Snake ran a hand over his beard. "Where is he?"

The pilot propped his chin onto his fist. "He's at the Presidium on the Citadel. Should I tell him to break out the fine china?"

One of their potential recruits was on this Citadel, and more intel was always preferable to no intel.

"Fine. We'll pick up our next recruit, then meet this Anderson." He said with a nod.

"Will do, Boss. We still have about a day's worth of travel. Hope you brought a book to read." The pilot said, his seat spinning around to face the controls.

Snake turned and walked down the path, back to the CIC.

 _Hope you enjoyed! AThousandSuns_


	8. Chapter VII: Ashes for Yesterday

**Mass Effect: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow**

 **Chapter VII: Ashes of Yesterday**

The Ishmael groaned, a sound that echoed through its walls, sending shivers down the crews spines. They were approaching Citadel space, having only stopped once at a fueling depot, before they would pass through the Mass Relay that would take them to the central hub of the galaxy.

Snake had spent most of the evening in his cabin, researching still, the history that he missed. And when he grew tired of politics that never changed, EDI had shown him how to access the extranet, and he found what he longed for most since he woke on that bed not but a few days ago.

 _Music._

David Bowie, to be precise.

His voice and echoed against the solitude of his cabin, the empty aquarium that took up most of one wall, reverberated as the familiar tune breezed through the air, and he sank into the couch opposite the bed with a deep sigh.

He hoisted a boot onto the table and reclined his head back into the folds of the sofa, his guard lowered and he shut his eyes to breathe easy. What he would do for a cigar, or even his phantom cigar in that moment…

 _Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles, I'm feeling very still, and I think my spaceship knows which way to go. Tell my wife I love her very much, she knows…_

He had fallen in love with Bowie's music. His voice, his words, his compositions. He had listened to his songs on his Walkman until cassettes were nothing more than worn out plastic and screws.

He often found himself humming along whenever alone, tapping the beat with his foot in the late hours of missions and times of rest.

And… he remembered a silent sniper, one who loved music just as much as he. One who shared her cassettes with him, would sit with him on way to missions and share her favourites. One who would silently hum choruses and melodies into his ear over the radio, and would pretend she did not hear him sit in the stairwell leading to her cell, listening with her late in the evening.

The familiar shadow that clouded his heart returned at the thought of her… he imagined her sitting across from him, her head dipped as she listened along with him. Her smoky eyes closed until she lifted her gaze to look at him, the curve of a tender smile spread over her lips.

His reverie was bittersweet, and he was thankful for EDI when she broke the news that Miranda was up and well.

The next day, it was early in the hours when Big Boss woke.

He had slept only minutes it felt like before his dreams; dark and abysmal— a collection of one man's memories, intertwined with another's— woke him in a cold sweat on the sofa.

He tried to focus on the mission at hand, to distract himself from the ghosts that spoke loudest.

He rose and dressed in his Cerberus fatigues, before he chose to check on his crew.

He had made an effort to memorize everyone's name, from Hadley and Matthews on the CIC, to Donnelly and Daniels down in Engineering, to the maintenance crew, Ralston and Goldstein, down in the hangar. Morale was important, crucial. If the men and women he was leading into hell did not believe in him, how could they commit everything they had?

Snake stepped into the elevator and decided to check on Miranda first. When he arrived on the crew deck, he nodded to the Mess Sergeant Gardner who slid a plate of questionable military rations to crew mate Sarah Patel.

He entered XO's quarters, and he was more than surprised at the sight of how large they were, comparable to his own.

Miranda looked up from her terminal, and offered a friendly smile, a simple pull at the corner of her lip that would make any man sweat. "Boss, what can I do for you?" She asked politely.

He gave her a look over, to see if she was in pain at all, or if she was injured in some way, but she looked the picture of good health.

She leaned forward in her chair, her hands folded together on her desk. "Checking up on me, yes?" She asked.

He nodded.

She shifted in her seat. "I'm cleared for duty. Nothing more than a slight migraine. And, I received a stern warning to _not_ do something like that again." She said lightly.

He regarded her once more, and she replied with a coy smile.

"I told you before, didn't I? I heal twice as fast as the average human. Anyone else, and they'd be in bed still. Or dead." Confidence oozed off her in repose, it forced Snake to suppress a snicker of his own.

She reclined back, her hands still folded but in her lap as one leg crossed over the other.

"I have to say, Boss— I'm impressed. So far, things have gone exceptionally well. And as far as Cerberus operations go, this is one of the best I've been a part of. Even if it almost put me in a coma." She said, with a flair of jest in her voice.

Her face grew more serious though. "How are _you_ doing? You look like you haven't slept much."

He turned his head away.

It had been that way for a long time. Whenever he was alone— left to himself, his thoughts always climbed back to the past, despite how much he tried otherwise.

To the vengeances and wrongs. To the memories of a broken man, and of another he once thought larger than life. He wished he could just, let go.

Snake shook his head. "I'm fine... hundred and ninety years was enough." He replied.

She gave him a long look—in the second that he turned his head away, she saw on his face, an aged, and tired old man. She saw the fullness of the bags beneath his eye, the scattered greys in his beard, the cavernous depth of the scars that traced his face. At the forefront of it all, she saw confusion, hurt and loneliness.

She did not press though. He had secrets, and she had hers.

"At any rate, my reports to the Illusive Man have been positive, I look forward to more future successes, Big Boss. I imagine we'll be at the Citadel soon. You should try to relax while you can." She said with a warm smile as she leaned forward and began typing away at her terminal.

Snake saw the end of the conversation, and nodded before leaving her to her work, and fixing to join the others in forcing some food into his stomach.

It was some time before Joker announced over the intercom that they were approaching Citadel space, passing through the galaxy's nearest Mass Relay and exiting FTL-travel.

Big Boss stood at the airlock with Garrus and Miranda. They checked over their gear, strapping their weapons to their magnetic locks as the flight lieutenant spun his chair around to face them. "We're docked and cleared for entry, Boss. Anderson said he's in his office at the Presidium. Probably arguing with the Council or something—since that seems to be all they wanna do all damn day. On their little screens. With their nitpicking and telling you you're grounded for being too good of a pilot and… what was I saying?"

"You were saying, 'Goodbye, Garrus, I'll miss you." The turian jested as the airlock opened, and the team stepped inside.

"Hey, Garrus, try not to find more sticks to shove up your—"

Joker's voice was cut off as the door closed behind them and Garrus snickered while he double checked his armor fitting. The ceramic collar of his armor was burned and broken, but Snake saw that the turian had no problem with it. He even seemed to wear his recent scars proudly, forgoing the bandages Dr. Michel gave to him for the lower half of his face.

Garrus was a good soldier. Dependable, resourceful and gifted, he showed himself to be a crackshot with his sniper rifle and a professional in combat. Snake could see that he would be an excellent commanding officer in of his own right, and yet…

He frowned.

All his men were dead. Betrayed by another turian named Sidonis, and he carried that pain like a dagger in his own gut.

Snake knew where revenge led to. It was a good motivator… but he'd have to watch him closely, lest he fall too far, and become like so many others that he used to see.

Miranda tapped at her omni-tool and Big Boss' own soon lit up in notification, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Boss, I've sent you identification credentials for you to use while here. They include proof of legalized birth, proof of galactic residence, security contracting and weapon carrying permits. Also weapon licenses, proof of retinal, and blood and biological identification. To avoid any real trouble with C-Sec, we've given you an alias on all your credentials; Victor Black. You're a security contractor, hired by Cerberus." She informed.

Snake looked over the documents in his omni-tool, sorting through the finer points he managed to figure out before nodding and closing the tool.

The decontamination process finished, the airlock opened and they passed through the Docking bay security untroubled.

To say that the centuries old soldier was in awe, would have been an understatement. Buildings touched the sky, and in it, he saw the fanned out wings that carried other districts of the Citadel high above them. He imagined people and aliens walking above him, upside down.

When he looked around, he saw cars flying through the air, and bipedal machines carried objects and guided people to and fro.

His trigger finger twitched, and he nearly reached for his rifle at the size of the nearest walking machine. It towered over him by a whole metre. In its mechanical hand, it carried a small laughing child, his mother chastising him for running away. The robot set the boy down delicately, and followed the mother and son close behind on bioorganic legs.

Another man stood atop another of the same bipedal robots further away, opening a compartment on its flat top head, and adjusting something inside that made its left leg twitch and nearly buckle.

"Yeah, it's the hydraulic in the left leg! This GEKKO is busted! Cheap AT crap!" He shouted to the man below, who cursed loudly and kicked a tool box at his feet.

Bipedal machines were all around, being used everywhere. For everything.

Why had they not seen these bipedal robots on Omega? Why had they not seen these... GEKKO, on Freedom's Progress? He turned his head away, and instead tried to focus on the enormous space station.

It appeared to have its own atmosphere, its own clouds and ecosystem. Local floral planted around them, and grew green and luscious. He breathed deep, tasting the air… it felt like real air on his tongue—unlike that of the recycled oxygen on the Ishmael.

"This way, Boss." Miranda tutted as she led him further into the station.

The old soldier looked up at the sky once more before following her and Garrus toward the main garden of the Presidium.

"What's with the robots?" He asked, seeing two more standing guard at a nearby security gate.

"It's something that humanity brought into the galaxy. Our history in robotics, bionics and AI development are vastly superior then that of the other council races. The only other race to rival us in that capacity are the quarians. Unfortunately, the Alliance keeps a tight leash on their military robotics, and AI are illegal to develop throughout the galaxy. Which is why you can only purchase old GEKKO models, repurposed to serve civilians with Virtual Intelligence, or the YMIR security mechs."

They passed through the Human Embassy security, and then ascended an elevator to an office floor of the building.

Miranda asked a receptionist where they could find Anderson before they were led to his office. A secretary in military uniform sat at a desk with her eyes lazily gazing at her terminal, her fingers typing away at abnormal speed.

She looked up when Big Boss came into view, and her eyes nearly exploded from her face.

"Holy shit." She whispered, her mouth ever-so-slightly agape. She stood straight from her position, and saluted.

"The Admiral was right… you… you're Big Boss."

Snake looked at Miranda, and the woman shook her head, her face red with annoyance. All her hard work on creating false identification for him, blown out the window.

"You look just like him… Solid Snake, I mean. He's the reason I joined the military. I've read all the history I could find on him when I was a cadet." The uniformed soldier stood at ease. It was a moment before she blinked. "Oh! Um… I'll inform Anderson that you're here."

She disappeared through the door behind her.

Miranda tutted. "We should have given you a disguise of some sort. Who knew everyone _knew_ that you were Big Boss, and you were alive?"

Garrus leaned on one leg. "Why is it such a problem that everyone knows he's Big Boss?" He asked.

Snake was curious as well.

Miranda did not look up from her omni-tool as she spoke. "Back in the Boss' time, he was labelled a war criminal by the United States Government when he founded Outer Heaven, and came into possession of a nuclear weapon, _after_ he led a massive nuclear disarmament around the world with his former PFC, Diamond Dogs. Technically, since he is still alive, he's still a war criminal. If the United States on Earth caught wind of his revival, he would surely be arrested and tried for war crimes against humanity."

The turian flared his mandibles, in what Snake could only assume resembled a whistle.

"Damn… nukes, huh? That's some pretty bad business, Boss." He said, scratching his chin.

Snake did not look at the turian.

He was positive at the time that it was for the benefit of humanity that they possess a failsafe; in the war against Cipher and the Patriots… it was a necessary evil that Ocelot had whispered in his ear, another evil Miller said to turn away, that they were better than that. The Patriots were already establishing their foothold in the US Government by 1995, and their influence was affecting the world around them in tsunami ripples. Countries grew poorer and poorer, more desperate.

Children grew up orphans, forced to become soldiers as there was no other way to provide for their families, just as the war economy was on the hinge of explosion.

Possessing a warhead, to become a superpower… it seemed like the only option to him at the time.

He stepped to the nearest window, peering into the gardens below.

Everything they had done… he wondered now if he had listened to Kaz, if they had stayed Diamond Dogs and abandoned the real Big Boss, how different things might have been.

"It was necessary, at the time." He said, turning to face the others.

Garrus and Miranda said nothing.

It was shortly after, that the uniformed secretary returned from the office.

"Anderson will see you now. But… uh, only you, Big Boss. Your friends will have to wait out here." She informed.

Big Boss looked at Miranda, who nodded. "We'll wait here." She said.

He passed through the electronic door into a private office that took up the space of what would be an entire apartment. A quick inspection revealed a balcony to the furthest wall, a sitting area to the left and a glassed in office to his right.

A dark skinned man stood in the office area, arguing with three holographic aliens at a terminal near the wall.

He was an older man, though possibly a few years younger than Snake himself. His stubbly black hair was peppered with grey, shaved in an old fashioned crewcut, and his skin showed signs of battle-worn wear and tear. A seasoned veteran who had seen his share of battles.

When Anderson saw him, he talked over the arguing aliens, ending their discussion with a promise to continue later, and the holograms faded.

"So," He spoke, his voice deep, commanding and controlled. He stepped closer and offered a hand, "You're the one Joker keeps talking about."

Snake regarded it for a moment before shaking it with his own.

"Admiral David Anderson. And you're Big Boss." He introduced, and led Snake over to the balcony.

"I'll be frank— you're going after the Reapers. I've been trying since the Citadel was attacked two years ago, to tell the galactic council to get off their asses and do something about it. Because they're out there, and they're coming."

He sighed. "But they won't listen. They've convinced themselves that Sovereign— the Reaper that attacked the Citadel, was a Geth warship. If Shepard were here… she may have been able to get them to listen. I don't know."

Crewmate Patel and Matthews had informed Snake of what happened two years ago on the Citadel; how it took Commander Shepard everything she had to rally the council to destroy Sovereign. And apparently, there was an entire fleet out there… on their way to this galaxy.

"I'll send you a dossier on everything I know about the Reapers from Shepard. Info from the VI on Ilos, and the recordings from her visor when she spoke to Sovereign. Everything I have on them and Shepard, is yours. To hell with the consequences." Anderson said, looking over the Presidium with quiet distaste.

"… The people here, have no idea. They think that the Geth attacked, were defeated, and that's the end of it. They'll continue to work, and believe what they're told is the truth." He looked back at Snake.

"They saw it. With their own damn eyes, they saw it—Sovereign, its monstrosity, and they think that's it."

Snake looked from Anderson, to the view from the balcony. He took a step closer and stood beside the Admiral.

"The colonists that are missing were taken by Collectors." Snake said.

Anderson's face grimed. "Collectors? They're involved? We hadn't considered them—there's such little data to suggest it. They've always seemed like a fringe threat. They could be a front for the Reapers or…"

"If we find anything, we'll let you know." Snake said.

They were quiet then, breathing in the cool breeze. They were two veterans in that moment, tired and old.

Anderson turned his head to Snake, his expression serious and deep. "I don't know why you're the one doing this, I don't even know how you're here and alive, and I don't know how Cerberus fits into all this. But I feel it in my gut. With Shepard gone… you're the only one doing something to stop the Reapers, and that's all I care about. I won't let her death be for nothing."

He rested his hands on the railing. "I'll keep the Alliance and Council off your back. It shouldn't be too hard if you keep your missions to the Terminus Systems. But I'll place your ship under military security contract protocols. That should help if you find yourself within Galactic space. Just promise me… you'll hit those Collectors where it hurts."

Snake nodded, offering his hand to Anderson this time, who shook it with a tight fist.

Behind them, a door slid open, and a man in a white suit came storming in. "Anderson! We need to talk about—who's this?"

Anderson called back. "Just a security contractor, hired by the Alliance, Udina." He turned to Snake. "Victor, we'll talk later." The man shook his hand once more.

Snake left then, passing the man in the white suit and rejoining Miranda and Garrus back outside, they moved to leave the Presidium.

"What did he say?" Miranda asked in the elevator.

"He'll give us whatever he has on the Reapers. But he didn't know about the Collectors."

"I assumed as much. The Alliance contaminated everything for the first two colonies, which is why it was so imperative we get to the last one, first." Miranda said, with thick distain as they passed through the Presidium checkout.

Garrus snickered. "That reminds me of my old C-Sec days; there was this human cop, newly transferred—really loud, big guy—he went to this crime scene where four asari were killed—blood everywhere—He walks in with his boot laces untied, and just as he steps over the safety barrier, he steps on his boot lace, slides on the blood and falls over the first girl. Talk about contamination."

The turian laughed, but when he saw Snake and Miranda did not reciprocate, he coughed sheepishly.

"It was funnier with the other C-Sec guys…"

They hailed another cab that carried them through the towering buildings, passing through traffic and away from the Presidium before landing back at the Zakera Ward.

Miranda stepped out of the cab first. "We should probably pick up some supplies while we're here, Boss." She said, as Garrus and Snake exited the cab.

"She's right, Boss. I need to pick up some calibration tools for the Ishmael. Don't know what they used up until now but… It's pretty bad down in those forward batteries." Garrus interjected.

"And I need to requisition supplies for the women on board. Why don't we meet here in an hour, Boss?"

Snake nodded. He would not mind the chance to take a break to breathe in the new surroundings around him.

Miranda showed him how to access the Cerberus Cell funds account on his omni-tool. All he would have to do is press the Action button in front of a kiosk in a store, and whatever it is he was purchasing, would be shipped to the Ishmael at docking bay B-11. They then went their separate ways, leaving him to himself on the busy street.

He wandered without direction for a short while, passing varieties of shops all the while; restaurants, weapons stores, an electronics shop, and even a spacefaring dealership.

The people and aliens were numerous and diverse, he watched a quarian argue with a human and a short, stout alien in a full body suit not unlike the quarian.

He saw human children distract a couple as their other friend pickpocketed their omni-tools with a strange device, then run off to an opened vent when discovered.

Through his walk, he decided to stop at the Japanese cuisine restaurant, watching the Japanese chef cut and dice vegetables and meats, tossing them into a pan through the window. He watched him roll fish and rice into a seaweed wrap and cut it into single piece, before sending the rolls away on a conveyor belt that led into the room in the back.

It had been a long time since he had tasted authentic Japanese cuisine, since before Outer Heaven even.

The kitchen was small, but manageable. A kiosk to the right of the chef displayed orders you could choose, but also displayed that a catering service was available.

Snake then remembered the food in the mess hall—how hard it was to swallow down military rations and dried out foods. It would be an incredible morale boost for the crew if they had a meal that wasn't military rations for them at the end of the day.

He approached the chef who did not look up from the beef and vegetables he tossed into a deliciously sizzling pan.

"Yes?" He responded to Snake's appearance, disinterestedly.

Snake spoke over the frying pan. "I have a ship with a full crew. They need a decent meal. Can you supply us?"

The chef shifted his eyes to stare at Big Boss for only a moment before returning to his frying pan, tossing the meats and vegetables in the air.

"How long you need for?"

"As long as you can supply us for."

The Japanese man's hand slipped, and the sushi roll he was rolling broke in half. He let out a string of curses in Japanese before turning his attention back to Snake.

"Will be expensive." He swallowed.

Snake lifted his omni-tool. Miranda did not express how much he should spend… The crew deserved it though. When he pulled up the account information in his omni-tool, there were millions of credits inside.

"How much?"

The man scratched his chin. "Nine thousand credits, for four weeks' worth of provision." He finished rolling the last of his sushi rolls, cut them, and sent them away on the conveyor belt.

Big Boss nodded.

The chef stepped away from the frying pan, wiped his hands clean on a cloth and moved over to the kiosk.

Snake joined and tapped the omni-tool on the screen of the kiosk, and a green light blinked approvingly.

"Will have the provisions delivered to the docking bay. Thank you… thank you so much!" The chef sniffled as he ran into the back of the kitchen, shouting something in Japanese, and a handful of other voices cheered in unison.

With a raised brow, Snake left the kitchen, and continued to look through the windows of passing shops. He looked at the reflections of people as they walked by. It seemed like ages since he was in any sort of civilized civilian landscape.

Prior to Afterlife, he had spent the last of his years in Outer Heaven on missions, deployed in abandoned villages, empty towns, and military facilities. He had nearly forgotten what it was like to see children with wholesome smiles, and clean hands, carrying toys instead of rifles.

He did not realize he had stopped walking. He stood before the large window of a small pet shop. He blinked and stared inside and his eyes fell to the lone creature in its cage. It was midnight black and earthly brown, and far too big for its holding cell, its snout pressed against the omni-shield with a solemn stare.

His feet led him into the shop—through the aisles to the front of this lonely spirit.

It was a German Shepherd, bigger than the other dogs in the store.

Now that he was closer, Big Boss could see scars up and down its face, its left ear was torn and stubby, and its fur was burned, mangled, even missing in certain places. Its eyes were abnormally blue, and tragically sad.

It had seen hard times. The dog stared up at Snake with hopeful eyes as the man knelt down before its cage.

"Interested, yes? Would you like to pet her?"

Snake looked up at the salarian clerk who approached, and nodded.

The salarian hit a button on his omni-tool, and the shield barring the dog dissolved.

It lunged forward instantly, toppling Big Boss down to the ground, and licked his face affectionately.

Snake found it hard to suppress his smirk as his hands tried to push away the German Shepherds loving maw.

"She's a good dog—smart breed. Strong too. We rescued her from a criminal canine and varren fighting ring on Bachjret Ward, her owner was killed in a shootout with C-Sec. Have had trouble adopting her out. Appearance makes it… difficult. Most people think with her background and appearance, she is unsafe. But as you can see…" The salarian snickered as the dog jumped on Snakes chest and continued to lick his face.

"She is quite loving."

Snake sat up, pushing the excited dog's licks away, but scratching her behind the ears.

"How old?" He asked.

"A little over two year cycles. In human years, I should say."

He looked into the dog's eyes, and he saw another from his past.

DD had been with him for years, right up to Outer Heaven. But a year or so before Solid Snake destroyed everything, DD had developed Malignant Lymphoma, and had to be put down. He had not held diamonds so close before that day.

He gently gripped the dogs panting face in his hands, and stroked the deep scars that lined her snout with his prosthetic thumb and looked into her eyes.

The salarian crossed his arms with an approving smile. "Seems like you both like each other."

The dog licked Snake's nose and wagged her tail excitedly.

"Should I prepare her for adoption?"

Snake looked between the salarian and the dog.

He stared into her eyes. Blue as the sea, fierce and powerful. She was a warrior, not meant for cages. He saw these eyes a thousand times in all his troops.

She lapped at his face again, and he nodded with a hidden smile.

"Excellent!" The salarian exclaimed, conjuring his omni-tool. "If you send me your Galactic Identification, I'll get started right away."

Snake stood and brought up his own omni-tool. It took him a few moments to figure out how to give his G.I.D, but once he did, the salarian disappeared to the front counter, leaving Snake with the panting dog.

She barked up at him and wagged her tail, sitting delicately, as if she were the perfect angel.

"Know any tricks?" He asked her.

She barked again, and jumped up at him, touching her snout to the tip of his nose in a sloppy wet kiss.

He smirked and wiped his face clean before the salarian returned.

"Everything seems to be in order, just require confirmation, and small adoption fee." He said as he tapped away on his omni-tool. Big Boss' lit up, and he confirmed the fee and adoption.

A bright green checkmark lit the screen.

"Congratulations! You guys are free to live out your lives together." The salarian said with a bright smile.

The dog barked with a wag of her tail as she stared up at Snake with a dangling tongue.

The man looked down and smirked back at her. Scratching her behind the ear with his prosthetic hand.

"She'll need a name. We couldn't think of one for her when she came here." The salarian said.

Snake thought, but he could not think of one either, shrugging his shoulders in response.

"Well… when you think of something, just message me, and I'll update her registration information. You'll need supplies as well, unless you already have them?" 

By the time he left with the dog, her supplies were sent to the Ishmael; a stockpile of food, waste products, shampoos and an even expensive lavish bed.

They stood leashed together out on the street of Zakera Ward, when he saw Miranda approaching, a raised brow as she eyed the panting dog at his feet.

"Um… what's that, Boss?" She asked with a puzzled gesture toward the German Shepherd.

"A dog." He replied with indifference.

"Yes, I can see that… why is it with you?"

"I bought it."

Miranda's mouth was agape. "You bought a dog? You know that we are on an important mission to stop the Collectors, right?"

"…" Snake looked between her and the dog, who wagged her tail happily and barked at Miranda.

"What's with the rodent?" Garrus voice called as he approached.

"The Boss bought a dog. Against his better judgement."

"That's a dog?"

The German Shepherd barked and jump up at the turian with a wagging tail and dangling tongue.

"Hm… we used to eat these type of animals on Palavan during survival training." Garrus said, using his hand to stop the Shepherd from trying to lick his still tender face.

Snake looked at Miranda. "Dogs are useful—smart, and tough. They're loyal, and they'll never lie to you. So long as you're good to them."

The dog joined Snake by his side and barked again, in agreement.

"But Boss—"

"She stays, and that'll be the end of it."

Miranda tutted, but nodded all the same. "Of course, Boss."

"We should look for our other potential recruit, Kasumi Goto, before we return back to the Ishmael." She said with hidden jadedness.

"Do you mean me?" A woman's voice echoed from the speakers of the electronic banner that Snake stood beside.

They jumped back, aiming weapons at the smiling, hooded woman's face, who smiled and laughed gingerly.

"Good to finally meet you, Big Boss. Kasumi Goto, at your service." She said playfully.

Miranda sighed as she rested a hand on her hip. "Why bother with false G.I.D's if everyone knows who you are regardless?"

Kasumi snickered. "I do my research. How else do you think I've survived this long as a master thief?"

"So you know what our mission is then?" Snake asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kasumi nodded, her face flickering on the projection. "Honestly, I'm shocked they didn't come to see me sooner. My fault for being hard to find, I guess."

"You know what we're up against, right?" Garrus asked.

The woman nodded.

The gesture gave Snake a quick glimpse of the face beneath the hood, her features were Asian from what he saw. Her name and the twist on her pronunciation revealed her to be Japanese.

"Yes. Saving the galaxy and all that, right? I'm not doing it for free though, I had a thing I need help with, so I made them a deal. And here we are."

Snake raised a brow. "Deal?"

The hooded woman tutted. "I guess it must have slipped their minds. I'm looking for my old partner's greybox. A man named Donovan Hock took it, and I'm planning to get it back."

Miranda shifted on her feet. "And I guess you'll need our help? As per the deal to sign on?"

Kasumi grinned. "Yes. Though, only Big Boss' help. His talents for stealth espionage will be invaluable."

Snake nodded. "Right. We'll take care of it when there's time."

"It'll be fun! And if we're lucky, you won't even have to draw your gun, Big Boss." She said cheerfully.

The screen with her face disappeared, and the woman's voice appeared from behind them, sitting on a bench. "We should probably wrap this up. You look pretty silly standing there talking to an advertisement."

She stood, with a friendly smile. "See you on the Ishmael, Big Boss." She said before disappearing beneath a cloaking device.

Garrus scratched his chin, and winced when he did so. "Hm… Interesting girl." He said as Miranda led the way back to the Ishmael.

They returned back to the loading dock, where Private Hadley argued with man in a chef's outfit. He spotted Snake approaching before saluting in his direction. "Boss, we have a minor issue—"

The chef spun around, and Snake immediately recognized him as the chef from the Japanese restaurant.

"You! I sold you provisions, I offer my services as a chef!" He shouted and approached Snake with a furrowed brow. "Can cook, _better_ than who you have as chef now. Look at your recruit!"

He pointed to Hadley with a face of disgust. "All skin and bone! No muscle! He's a weak little boy!"

Hadley frowned. "Hey—"

"Take me with you. Won't regret it." The chef declared.

Snake eyed him for the moment. "We're on a dangerous mission. You're prepared for that?"

"Yes." The chef did not hesitate.

He gave him a once over and looked at Miranda who stood with her arms crossed defiantly.

"We're leaving shortly. Make sure you're on board."

Miranda sighed and walked onto the ship with a forceful bounce in her step.

"Yes! Thank you. Will be on board!" The chef proclaimed, racing to pick up his items that he had with him onto the Ishmael.

They were soon all aboard the Ishmael, and shortly after, their deliveries and refueling were completed, the ship jetted off into the cosmos.

The German Shepherd had excitedly boarded the ship, barking and running up to everyone in sight. The crew responded enthusiastically as she breathed in all the attention with pleasant woofs and fierce tail-wagging.

Snake saw Miranda, with her stony face, suppress a tug at the corner of her lip as she passed the dog to the elevator.

Joker spun in his chair to face them, ignoring the excited canine who barked at him. "So, how was Anderson, did he say he missed me?"

Snake shook his head, and Joker gripped his chest in mock pain.

"Yikes… that hurts worse than when my real dad says he doesn't miss me, and that he loves my sister more." Joker said before spinning back in his chair.

"Well, let me know when you're ready to leave, Boss, I'll just be up here sulking and telling the ship cancer to shut up."

Snake whistled to the dog who, after getting her fill of attention, ran over excitedly, looking up at him with a panting grin. He gave her a quick scratch on the head and led her to the CIC, where Kelly Chambers greeted her with great enthusiasm.

"Oh my, who's this? She's beautiful, Boss!" The woman said, scratching the dog who barked in response.

He approached the terminal and opened it with relative ease. "She hasn't got a name yet. She'll have to earn it. Introduce her to the rest of the crew. Get her situated." He said standing before his terminal and switching it on.

The woman smiled brightly, scratching the prone dog's exposed belly now, her leg a machinegun in the air. "Right away, Boss."

Kelly stood, and gestured for her to follow. "C'mon girl! Let's show you the ship."

The yeoman and the dog disappeared in the elevator, and Snake ran through his new messages and remaining dossiers.

Joker's voice echoed over the intercom. "Where to, Boss?"

Snake looked over the galaxy map, before tapping at the screen, reading over the remaining dossier. "…Korlus. In the Imir system."

"Copy that, it'll be a little over forty-two hours before arrival."

Snake groaned inwardly.

Forty-two hours was a long time for a soldier. Without the drowning of gunfire and adrenaline coursing through his veins, the ghosts that lurked in the shadows closed in much quicker.

He looked down at his hands, and saw blood in dirty palms.

He blinked, and they were normal, gloved and armored. He ran a hand over his face before heading to the armory, with random intent to tend over his gear.

Jacob was there, his hands deftly fieldstripping a shotgun that Snake was not familiar with by his workbench.

As he entered, Jacob looked his direction, and stood straight with a salute. "Boss, can I help you with something?"

Snake shook his head as he stood at the table opposite him, lifting his M-96 Mattock, and Jacob returned to what he was doing.

"A little weapon maintenance, huh? It's a great way to keep the hands busy off duty." Jacob said as he began to clean his pistol.

"So, what did Admiral Anderson have to say?" He asked.

Snake began to take the Mattock apart, setting the pieces down in neat sections, a manual conjured on a tablet that Jacob had left for him to study his firearms as he took them apart, telling him what to clean, and how to put them back together.

"He'll give us everything he has on the Reapers and Commander Shepard."

"Classified intel?"

Snake nodded.

Jacob whistled. "Damn. Hell of a risky move. He could be court-martialed if he gets caught revealing top secret Alliance intel."

Snake agreed… but Anderson knew what was at stake, the future. He did not say anything, and continued to inspect and clean his rifle. They worked in mutual silence before Jacob spoke again.

"Have to say, Boss, you run this ship tight, and we're getting things done. We keep on track and maybe we'll figure this out. I hope so. I'm not looking forward to the debrief if it all goes to shit."

Snake finished with the rifle and moved onto the Carnifex next, stripping it apart.

"You were ex-military?" He asked.

Jacob nodded, setting his weapon down and turning to face Big Boss. "Yeah. I served five years in the Alliance. I was part of a group called the Consairs for a bit, before I was reassigned to Eden Prime, a human colony. I was there, back in 2183, when the Geth invasion nearly wiped out the entire colony.

"After that, I got fed up. Too much red tape in the Alliance. So I left after my service was up. Been with Cerberus ever since."

"Anyone at home?"

Jacob shook his head. "Only child and no extended family. Never settled down. Didn't seem fair with this job. But, hey, you can't miss what you never had."

Snake nodded but his face grimed.

Jacob had certainly prepared himself for the worst. But he more often than not, found that soldiers who had something to go home to, fought harder, and survived longer. He saw it a thousand times.

He remembered a young man who once fought for nothing. A young man who was haunted by faces of people he did not know, who he killed. A life without purpose.

But then he met Big Boss. A man who once was the marbled statue for which he worshiped. Larger than life, a symbol to strive to.

What did he believe in now? His Boss and his rivalry with Zero nearly brought the world to complete ruin.

Now, that young man, was now just an old killer, a demon lost in time, trying to make up for the mistakes they all created.

It did not feel like it was enough though… He did not feel that power he felt when he woke up from that coma all those years ago, reborn as Big Boss. There was nothing in him anymore. Nothing at all. No real purpose. But yet, he was still alive… still fighting, why?

"Boss?"

Jacob's beckoning voice brought him back to reality, he had not realized that he was squeezing the trigger of the Carnifex in his hand over and over. He set it down and picked up the Mattock again, stripping it part by part.

"You disappeared there for a second… anything you want to talk about?" Jacob asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against his work station.

Snake did not speak. The only sound that filled the armory was the quiet click of his field stripping, and the low thrum of the ship around them.

The dark skinned soldier switched topics. "You know… when you were still in that bed, being worked on, I used to wonder what the big deal with you was— An old merc, from over a hundred years in the past, brought back from the dead. How great could you be?" He chuckled to himself.

"But, now that we're in the deep of it, I see it now. You're somethin' else, you operate like nothing I've seen before. Like a machine. Like you were born for this."

Snake did not speak, not at first. He finished putting the Mattock back together with newly trained ease, and set it down carefully, like a baby in a cradle.

He stared at the weapon absently.

Killing was easy. He recalled a young man in graduating medical school, who once thought he would never be able to kill another man. He recalled a young man who spent three years in the Army, and then two years as an Army Ranger, and possessed the highest kill count of his entire platoon.

Blood dripped onto the table from his brow, like sweat on a humid day. He touched his face when he felt cool wetness, he smelled gunpowder and fire, could taste copper on his tongue.

When he pulled his hand away to look at it though, he saw nothing, no sweat, no blood, nothing.

He turned to Jacob and grimed. "When you're like me… when war's in your blood, and you're pushed, killing's as easy as breathing. "

Snake walked away, leaving Jacob in the stillness of the armory. 

_I'm sorry for the severe delay and lack of action in this chapter, but I've been busy with work, girlfriend troubles and I'm in the process of joining the military. Thanks for the patience, the feedback, all the follows and favourites. You guys are dope. Hope you enjoyed this cluster of words! I'll have the next chapter out much sooner, I'm about 6000 words into it already. AThousandSuns_

 _P.S; I hate Jacob._


	9. Chapter VIII: Purpose for Tomorrow

**Mass Effect: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow**

 **Chapter VIII: Purpose for Tomorrow**

The Kodiak jostled and shook as it punched through the atmosphere of Korsul. Garrus, Zaeed and Jack sat in the cabin with him, strapped into their seats as Jenny Goldstein guided the shuttle to the surface.

"So what are we looking for, Boss?" Garrus called over the loud shaking of the Kodiak.

Snake answered. "Another recruitment op. Krogan scientist named Okeer. Says he's been in contact with the Collectors. Something about a genophage and saving his people. We bring him in alive. He's surrounded by Blue Suns, dossier doesn't say if he's with them or not. Assume hostiles."

The turian's mandibles flicked in amusement. "Krogan scientist? Mordin will get a kick outta that." He joked.

"We're coming in for landing, Boss! There's Blue Suns and Krogan all over, watch your back!" Goldstein shouted.

Snake nodded as he and the rest of his crew undid their straps and prepared to exit.

The Kodiak landed gently on the gritty tarmac, and the doors opened. Garrus was first, followed by Zaeed and Jack, with Big Boss bringing up the rear. As soon as they found the nearest cover, the Kodiak dusted off and disappeared into the distance.

The first thing of the planet that Snake noticed, was the smell of smelted metal and burning garbage. The sun was fiery above in the afternoon sky, and it was humid and windless.

A loudspeaker echoed over the garbage and debris that littered area.

" _There is only one measure of success: Kill or be killed! Perfection is your goal!"_

Zaeed scoffed. "Canned orders of loudspeaker? Classy."

"I already want to kill this chick." Jack sneered.

Snake found it hard to feel the same. "Garrus, take point. Zaeed, on our six." He said, patting the turians shoulder.

Garrus moved, patting Zaeed's shoulder as he passed him. Jack followed suit, and Big Boss after her. They moved as a group in a tight single file around a bend.

" _Being hired is merely the beginning. You must earn your place in the mighty army we're building."_ The loudspeaker above them echoed again in a crackle.

"Someone's in love with the sound of their own voice." Garrus said, leading them over a slope of compact metals and neared a corner until he stopped with a raised hand. "Blue Suns ahead. Six or Seven of them. We can get the jump on them."

Snake patted his shoulder and they switched places. "Find cover and engage on my mark." He said and leaned out from around the corner.

He glimpsed the nearest mercenary in his sights, lined up his shot and…

With a vicious bang, the mercenary fell like a bag of rocks, his companions looked around in shock, and fired in Snake's direction.

Garrus was first to run out and hide, unloading a careful barrage of cover fire. Jack and Zaeed moved next, and the group made short work of their opposition, with Garrus signaling that all mercs were down at the end of it all.

As they made their way over the ramp, a single Blue Suns trooper leaned against a broken engine with a panicked look on his face. He was unarmed as he tried to stop the gunshot wound in his shoulder from bleeding to no avail.

His voice was young, Snake could hear the untrained waver in his voice. Probably in his early twenties.

Zaeed scoffed as they approached him. "Suck it up, soldier. I've seen worse."

Garrus interjected. "Well, he doesn't need to know that." He said, patting Snake on the shoulder and taking point.

The mercenary looked up, his brow a furrow. "I knew it wasn't berserkers… Not at range. You're mercs. Or Alliance. I'm not… I'm not telling you shit." He said through gritted teeth.

Garrus fell to one knee in front of him. "Look, just tell us everything you know, or I'll…" He reached over and jammed his thumb into the open wound. The merc cried out, and tried to knock the turians hand back, but was easily smacked away.

Garrus let go, and the merc seethed, looking between the turian and his bleeding shoulder.

"Son of… argh… I just— I don't know anything! I just shoot the overflow from the labs. The old krogan up there, he's really be cleaning house lately. Jedore hired him to make her an army, but the krogan he creates are insane, so we use them as live ammo training. It's all bullshit; I don't get paid enough to goddamn bleed out!" He seethed.

Just then, his radio sparked to life and another voice echoed between them.

"Outpost Four? Jedore wants us to move. We need coordinates on that krogan pack."

The merc peered up at Garrus, a worried look on his face.

Garrus leaned forward, his hand on his shoulder, his thumb resting above the exposed bullet hole. "Make 'em disappear… Am I clear?" He said in a low, threat.

The terrified merc nodded, and leaned into his radio. "Uh… patrol? The last group… dispersed. Lost sight five minutes ago."

"Dispersed? Jedore will be pissed. She wanted a show." The radio replied.

The merc ground his teeth when Garrus placed his thumb gently over the wound.

"You asked for a report, you got it. Dispersed."

The voice on the other end acknowledged, albeit agitatedly. "Understood. Returning to the labs."

He cut the radio. "See? I'm helping." He said.

Garrus took his hand away. "What do you know about Okeer?"

"Nothing… We go in the labs, but everyone sees what happens when the krogan come out. I've shot hundreds of 'em. They're crazy. Mindless."

Jack spoke this time. "What's the bitch up there doing with all these krogan?"

The merc swallowed. "Replace us, probably. I wouldn't wanna see an army of them coming at me. Only she can't control them. They aren't supposed to be crazy, but they're krogan. How smart are they to start?"

"Is the lab heavily guarded?" Snake asked.

The merc winced into his shoulder. "There are big guns to keep ships away. But we're not outfitted to fight goddamn commandos."

Snake nodded and gestured for Garrus to wrap up the interrogation.

"If you start limping now, you might find a shady spot before you bleed out." He stood and gestured with his rifle for the mercenary to start get up and start walking.

With a grunt and a stutter, he nodded and pulled himself from the ground, limping his way out of the outpost.

Zaeed snickered, his rifle resting on his shoulder. "He just about pissed himself."

Garrus shrugged. "Some people… just need a heavy hand."

Snake readied his rifle. "Come on. Our target is up ahead. On me." He said, getting in position.

"I've got our six." The turian said, tapping his shoulder with Zaeed and Jack taking their places in between.

The unit moved through the debris, until they came to the outskirts of the facility. Up on the bridge ahead, a group of Blue Suns spotted them and unleashed a barrage of bullets their way.

They fought their way through, using the broken pieces of junk around as cover, pushing through to the entrance of the laboratories.

Along the way, they came across multiple dead krogan, their corpses littered the ground in untrained positions, as if they were given guns, and not told how to use them.

Jedore's voice rang through the loudspeaker, her agitated voice spoke in poetics of failure and liquidation.

After fighting through their third patrol, a radio on a dead merc sounded.

"Comm, tell Jedore we have a problem. Patrols are going dark. Either the krogan are pushing, or we're being raided!"

Garrus fired his Viper, his shot ringing through the visor of a merc on the far off balcony. "They were bound to catch on eventually. Resistance will probably tighten up." He said, ducking behind cover as he tried to line up his second shot.

Zaeed switched out a heatsink. "Good! More Blue Suns to put down!" He shouted, firing his Revenant in volleys.

Snake launched an Incinerate, knocking the last merc from the catwalk above into the crevice below. When all was clear, the group pressed forward.

Jedore's voice pounded above them. _"The krogan are your example, and your warning! As ferocious as they are, failures are expendable."_

Jack sighed with annoyance, and fired a slug up at the loudspeaker, blowing it into bits and piece. " ." She shouted.

They made their way to a blocked off corridor, where a lone krogan fired a shotgun up at the second floor.

Garrus lined up his rifle and fired a round into the skull of the Blue Suns merc.

The krogan looked back at them, and lowered its shotgun, confusedly. Snake raised a hand and the group stopped, lowering their weapons also.

The krogan stepped forward and sniffed Snake with curiosity.

He was much smaller than the krogan Big Boss had seen thus far, his hump only a fraction of the size of others.

He sniffed him once more.

"You… are different. New. You don't smell like this world."

He took a step back. "Seven night cycles, and I have felt only the need to kill. But you… something makes me speak."

Zaeed raised a brow. "That thing's only a week old?"

Jack crossed her arms, and inspected the krogan suspiciously. "Big bastard already, probably born ready to kill. Not much improvement over regular mercs if they need training."

The krogan shifted on his feet, staring at the ground. "Born… to kill." It cast a peculiar look at Jack. "No. I kill because my blood and bone tell me to. But it's not why I was flushed from glass mother… Survival is what I hear in my head. Against the enemy that threatens all my kind. But I failed, even before waking. That is what the voice in the water said. That is why I wait here."

Garrus leaned on one foot. "You're supposed to be part of a mercenary army. Do you remember Jedore? Have you seen her?"

"No… I have not seen her. But I know that name. It causes anger, also, laughter. It is not a name that will be sung when we march."

He shook his head. "I don't know what that means. But I have heard it many times."

Snake eyed the alien curiously. "You're only a week old?"

The krogan nodded. "Yes. There was a scratching sound in my head, and it became the voice. It taught things I would need: walking, talking, hitting, shooting. Then the voice said I was not perfect and the teaching stopped. And now I am here."

Snake frowned. "You're not good enough?"

"I am not perfect."

"Was it Okeer's voice in the tank?"

His head tilted with puzzlement. "I heard the voice. Not like now, with ears. Inside. I called it, father. It liked that. But it was disappointed. I am not what it needs me to be."

"How did you disappoint the voice?" Snake asked.

The krogan shook his head. "I don't know. It was decided before I left tank mother. I was not perfect."

Garrus' mandibles flicked inquisitively. "Two years ago, Saren tried to cure the genophage by creating an army of krogan slaves, but Shepard, Wrex and I destroyed it. Is Okeer trying to do the same thing?" He pondered aloud.

"Cure?" The krogan echoed. "Cure was never whispered. Survive. Resist. Ignore."

"Then what is he trying to do if not cure the genophage?" Garrus asked.

Zaeed shrugged, growing agitated. "Who the hell cares? It's not like this breeding program's a huge success anyway."

Snake gestured to the facility behind them. "Can you show us the lab? We need to speak with Okeer."

The krogan looked up, eying the facility. "The… glass mother. She is up. Past the broken parts. Behind many of you fleshy things. I will show you."

He walked to the decadent wall of the building, dropped its shotgun and hoisted a hefty piece of scrap metal blocking a hole that led into the facility, and tossed it aside with relative ease.

"Not too subtle… but what krogan isn't." Garrus jested.

The krogan picked up his shotgun. "You fleshy things are slow when big things are in your way." He said, gesturing with his head to the piece of metal.

Snake looked at him. "You could have run… or tried to fight your way back to the labs, to Okeer. Why stay?"

"I am waiting." The krogan replied. "The voice in my head told me. If they come, I fight. But I will not run, and I will not follow."

"You're sure? We could use you along the way." Garrus said.

The krogan nodded. "I am not perfect, but I have purpose. I must wait until called. Released." It turned to leave.

"Wait." Snake called after him.

He stopped and looked back expectedly.

This was a warrior. Bred to kill, serving a purpose given to him. To die here as cannon fodder for these mercenaries…

"Your purpose…" Snake looked at him long and hard. "You've asked yourself what it is?"

The krogan shifted. "...Yes. It says to wait. To fight."

"No. Not what the voice in the tank said… _your_ voice."

"My voice?"

"The one that told you to stop and speak with us."

His face was hidden behind his mask, but Snake imagined it contorted with confusion, his obscured eyes downcast. "I…"

"My voice says to wait, to fight, to stay… but to also ask— why?" He said, looking up at Snake.

"Why?" Snake asked.

"Why was I flushed from glass mother? Why am I here? Why am I not perfect? My voice wants to know."

"Come with us." Big Boss spoke. "And learn."

The krogan looked back at the place where they found him, then back to Big Boss, and nodded. "I will go. I must know. My voice must know—why."

He cocked his shotgun. "Glass mother is this way. I will show you." He led the way through the wall with the group following closely.

Zaeed squinted down the corridor, Blue Suns and krogan alike littered the ground. "Not a lot of room to maneuver."

Snake agreed. "Keep it tight." He said, on the feet of the krogan.

Ahead, the path sloped down, a flickering light at the end of the hall was the only source of luminescence.

They fought their way through Blue Suns and krogan alike. Their guide spoke of how most of his brothers were thoughtless, only choosing to kill because the voice told them to. There was no reasoning, and they would fight to their death, consumed with bloodrage.

"Why aren't you like that?" Garrus asked.

The krogan shook his head. "I don't know. Words are in my head. They speak in my voice, but say things different from glass-mother."

They travelled deeper and deeper into the facility, passing over bridges, through corridors and tight corners till they finally entered a stairwell that led to the laboratories.

"Father is just up ahead, through these opening walls." The krogan said, pointing forward. They stacked up on the door, and entered, greeted by the stench of old death hanging in the air.

Various krogan corpses lay on gurneys, some burned to crisps, while others were in different states of decay.

Snake gestured for Garrus to hit the switch on the next door as they took position, ready to breach entry.

With a count of three, Snake entered, clearing the room left to center with Garrus doing the opposite right behind him. The room was empty, except for numerous lab equipment and a tall krogan near a tank on the right side of the room.

The krogan looked in their direction, but continued to tap away on his terminal. "It's about time. The batteries on these tanks will not wait while you play with these idiotic mercs."

Snake lowered his Mattock and gestured for the others to do the same. He glanced over at the large tank, and saw another krogan inside, unresponsive, though he could see its fingers and lips twitch sporadically.

"Okeer?" He called.

The old krogan nodded. "No doubt you have fought your way here for a good reason, Cerberus agent. But they will have to wait. These mercenaries have become a burden to me. I gave their leader my rejects for her army, but she grows impatient. It's time for you to take me out of here."

"Father." The smaller krogan stepped forward, his face hidden, Snake could tell his eyes were downcast in shyness.

Okeer looked at him, his brow raised. "You— you are one of my rejects. Why are you here?" Okeer asked him, his voice a wisp of perplexity.

"I…" The smaller krogan looked at Snake, who offered a curt nod.

"Why… am I not perfect?"

Okeer stared at him, eying him from eye to eye before turning back to the tank. "You aren't perfect. But I gave you a purpose. You are exactly what that woman asked for; healthy, strong, capable… but useless to me."

"Why?" Asked the smaller krogan.

Okeer spun angrily in his direction. "Because you are a failure! You learned, you speak, you think, but you are not perfect! You failed imprinting! You failed personality! You failed me! I need perfection. If a few thousand such as you are rejected, so be it. My work will purify the krogan. We will not be restored— We will be renewed."

"I… failed?" The smaller krogan repeated, staring at the ground.

Okeer huffed and turned to Big Boss and pointed to the krogan in the tank. "This soldier is the template. It is a greater threat than all the phantom siblings— such as this one, that would have been at its flank."

Snake sighed silently. "Can he fight with us?"

Okeer shook his head. "Perhaps I can strike a deal to secure passage. But my prototype is not negotiable. It is the key to my legacy."

" _Attention! I've traced the krogan release. Okeer, of course. I'm calling "blank slate" on this project. Gas the commandoes with him and start over from Okeer's data. Flush the tanks!"_ The loudspeaker above them crackled to life and Jedore's voice echoed through.

Okeer approached the window, and saw the blue armor clad woman down below, she made a throat cutting motion at him with a wicked sneer.

The krogan growled angrily as pipes along the ceiling began to burst open and bleed a gaseous mist into the lab.

"She's that weak-willed?! She'll kill my legacy with a damned valve!" Okeer boiled, turning to Big Boss.

"You wanted information on the Collectors? Stop her! She'll try to access the contaminants in the storage bay."

Snake eyed him, sensing only half truths in his words. "You'll share everything?"

Okeer turned back to the tank. "I give you my word. I will share everything I know on the Collectors. My legacy must not suffer this insult. Jedore will be with the rejected tanks below. Fight well."

Snake nodded.

Jack and Zaeed moved to the far side of the room, working on opening the door that led to the warehouse beyond.

He looked to the smaller krogan, who still peered down at the ground.

He walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The krogan looked up slowly, awaiting an answer.

"You fought your way here. With your own purpose. Your own voice, and you're alive. You're not a failure."

The krogan stared, and Snake felt as if he were consoling a young child.

Garrus stepped closer as well. "You're a crackshot with that shotgun, we could use you down there."

The smaller krogan looked between the two of them before cocking his shotgun and turning to the older, larger Warlord. "I am not perfect… and I am not a failure." He fiercely pounded a fist against his chest and shouted, "I am not a failure, father!"

Okeer eyed him, but said nothing to him.

"Hurry, Cerberus agents. Kill her. I will… stay, and do what must be done." He said, beginning to work on the krogan filled tank.

The group exited the door on the far side of the lab and descended the flight of stairs. The air was significantly fresher, stale and sanitized, very much like a hospital.

Through the second door, Snake could hear Jedore spouting orders in a shrill. "I don't care who they are, I want them dead! This is my world! I'll poison them all!

Jack and Zaeed both made sounds of irritation.

"Someone shut that bitch up!" Zaeed shouted.

Jack charged into the room, and almost immediately gunfire fell upon them.

"Gladly!" She shouted, stretching her hand out and creating a biotic field, repelling gunfire as she found cover. The rest of them moved in, and began to fire back, launching a volley of rounds at Jedore, her mechs and the krogan rejects that appeared from the tanks on the floor.

The woman screamed in fury, and fired a missile launcher in their direction.

Jack snickered and deflected it easily with another biotic field before hoisting a giant metal container and threw it in Jedore's direction.

Her power was incredible, Snake noticed.

In comparison to Jacob and Miranda, she was summoning her peculiar ability with relative ease and savage determination. Wherein he had seen Jacob and Miranda lift people and objects into the air, she was ripping them apart, throwing them around so hard that their limbs shattered on impact.

Her ferocity was matched only by her recklessness, as she did not notice the krogan berserker close in on her flank.

Snake aimed his Mattock carefully, crouching and using his knee to stabilize his shot, and fired a round over her head into the eye socket of the krogan, who hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Jack looked between the krogan and Snake before she smirked and flipped him her middle finger.

He felt a tug at the corner of his lip and returned fire at Jedore who hid behind one of the smoking tanks, shouting unbridled insults and threats in their direction.

Garrus fired his Viper from his makeshift perch before his voice sounded over the radio. "Boss, we're not making any progress with her hiding behind that tank, I can't line up a good shot. If you can lure her out and drop her shields, I can take her out."

Snake nodded, and tapped the krogan next to him. "We're gonna flank 'em, on me!" He shouted over the explosions and gunfire.

The krogan nodded and moved from his cover, firing his Katana in the direction of Jedore's mechs. "Keep them busy!" Snake ordered to Zaeed and Jack, following after him.

"Roger that! Hit that bitch, Jack!" Zaeed shouted, his Revenant popped out its spent thermal clip.

"Hey, bitch! Shout this into your loudspeaker!" Jack let loose her shotgun, firing from behind her cover before she stepped out and lifted one of the krogan high into the air and violently tossed him into one of the mechs, igniting a tight explosion.

Snake and the krogan moved to the far side of the room and looped around until Jedore and her mechs were in view.

The krogan snarled and charged forth, gripping one of the mechs head's in his hands and squeezed until it crushed into a mangled mess of junk.

Jedore spotted them, and with an angry glare on her face, stood and fired her Tempest in a vicious barrage at them.

"Filthy fucking bastards!" She shouted.

The krogan charged again, but was hit hard in the shoulder, shooting through his armor in a splatter of dark red blood. The force of the round knocked him back, and he hit the concrete floor harshly.

Snake grimaced and fired his Mattock at her in rapid succession, hitting her hard in the chest.

She stumbled back with a vicious screech of rage. Her sentinel armor flickered in response, but did not dissipate. She was almost in view for Garrus to take the shot… but was not quite there yet.

Her missile launcher caught his eye, primed and readied for him only a few feet away.

He reached down, dropping the Mattock and took aim at her as she lifted her Tempest and fired at him.

The rounds rebounded off his shields, hitting him like bee stings before his shields broke and then hit his armor with hard thuds, nearly forcing him back.

He fired the launcher, letting loose its payload and hitting Jedore in the chest.

Her shrill of agony went unheard under the resulting explosion as it sent her rocketing back. She crashed into the wall behind her, and her glowing sentinel armor degenerated.

Snake almost assumed her dead, but she stood up sluggishly with a stagger, gripping the Carnifex on her hip and pointing it at Snake.

Her face was blackened and burned, her skin hissed and sizzled. Her left eye dangled just above her cheek. It did nothing to hide her raging expression. "I'll fucking kill—!"

The right side of her face exploded, and her body fell to the ground in a smoking heap.

Snake looked up at Garrus, who stood from his perch and offered a thumbs up at him.

Zaeed grunted as he pried his knife from the forehead of one krogan, kicking his corpse to the chasm below.

"Clear!" He shouted seeing no more Blue Suns, mercs or krogan left.

"Finally some peace and quiet. Nice shot, Garrus." Jack chimed, ejecting her thermal clip and replacing it with another.

"It's what I do." The turian replied, dropping from his makeshift perch.

Snake knelt beside the masked krogan who lay on the ground, his hand gripped his shoulder and he seethed with pain.

"Ah… hurts…" He groaned.

Snake inspected the wound. It was a clean shot, right through the muscle, and avoided the bone and brachial artery— if he even had one, by mere millimetres.

He gave the krogan a reassured expression, and applied an application of medi-gel, coating it over the open wound.

When the krogans breathing became easier, Snake stood and offered him a hand.

The krogan took it and nearly pulled Snake down from his weight and strength, but managed to keep upright when he stood.

Zaeed called to Snake, "Boss, alarms in the lab!" He pointed up at the windows above.

He frowned, and led the krogan back to the group and EDI's voice sounded through his radio.

" _Big Boss, the lab alarms coincided with a systems failure. The remaining lab systems are unprotected, and I have gained limited access. According to lab scanners, the room is flooded with toxins, and Okeer's personal life signs are failing rapidly. I recommend haste."_ She informed.

"Let's go." Snake said, leading the way back up to the laboratory.

" _Contamination detected. Emergency vent in progress."_

A voice above repeated as they approached the door, the locking mechanism flashed from red to green and the door opened, the alarm unsounding.

Snake entered the lab, and looked through the room for Okeer.

"No!" The smaller krogan shouted, and ran past Big Boss to the unmoving body of the Warlord. He fell to his knees and turned him onto his back, but was only met with Okeer's blank, dead stare.

Snake approached the terminal, where a vid from Okeer played.

" _You gave me time, Cerberus agents. If I knew why the Collectors wanted humans, I would tell you. But everything is in my prototype. My legacy is pure. This… one soldier, this… Grunt. Perfect."_

Big Boss sighed. All that work… for nothing.

He looked down at the smaller krogan who held Okeer's head in his hands.

"My voice… hurts." He said, looking up at Snake expectantly.

"You're upset… sad." Snake answered, stepping closer to him.

The krogan looked down. "Sad… Father is... He breathes no more. He is dead… and I am sad." He stood and stepped away from the corpse. "I am a failure. That's what I was to him. But he…"

He looked at Okeer once more. "I am not perfect… but I am not dead. I have survived, and he…"

"Boss, what should we do with the tank?" Garrus asked, gesturing to the towering incubator.

Snake placed a hand on the krogans shoulder comfortingly before joining the others and looking up at the alien inside the tank.

"A bullet in the brain would save us a lot of headaches." Zaeed interjected, holstering his Revenant onto the magnetic lock on his back.

"We could always use a heavy hitter." Garrus said, observing the terminal that Okeer had been using.

Snake could not help but agree. Seeing their krogan friend knock Blue Suns into the air was an impressive feat, and incredibly useful.

Jack scoffed. "Tch, yeah. A heavy hitter, not a raging fucking monster. But hey, you're the Big Boss." She said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking into the tank.

Snake said, "We'll bring him with us. Find out what he's capable of. Call it in."

Garrus nodded. "Ishmael, Okeer's a no-go. But we have a package that needs retrieval, and he's a big one." He said into his radio.

Snake turned to the smaller krogan who looked up as he approached.

"We're leaving."

The krogan observed the tank. "Leaving?" He whispered.

"…You can spend your life here, fighting Blue Suns 'til you're killed… or you can do something out there, worth living for." Snake's voice was low, and warm. "With us."

The krogan sniffed him curiously.

"Out there?" He pointed to the sky.

Snake nodded. "You're not perfect… none of us are. We're flawed and broken. But it's our imperfections, our sense of purpose… That's what make us what we are—what, you are."

The krogan was quiet, he peered down into the lifeless eyes of Okeer, and then Snake. "I have purpose. My voice says it. Whispers it in my ear like wind. Tells me to live. Shouts over the voice from glass-mother. Tells me to fight—" He placed his hand on Snake's shoulder, mimicking his previous gesture. "To fight with you."

It was some time before the Ishmael managed to load the large krogan filled tank onboard, during which the remaining Blue Suns planet-side kept their distance at the sight of the frigate. The tank was stowed onboard, kept in one of the storage spaces on the Engineering deck.

Snake stood in the conference room with Miranda and Jacob as the two of them debated on what to do with the tank. He stood between them with a sense of deja vu.

"Bringing the krogan for study makes sense, but I have concerns about waking it." Miranda said pointedly.

Jacob sighed inwardly. "Yeah, you've said that a few times now."

Miranda ignored him. "A normal krogan is dangerous. This one was created, and likely educated, by a madman. We don't know anything about it. Not to mention the other krogan; a designated failure is on board now as well." She said, resting a hand on her hip.

"I'm not saying we take a crowbar to it… but we'd be giving up a potential resource." Jacob said, looking to Big Boss for back up.

The man stood with his arms at his sides.

"I want to speak with it, before we make any decision what to do with it… we're not responsible for taking lives before they have the chance to speak for themselves."

Miranda seemed satisfied with that response. "Of course, Boss. It's your decision. Just be careful, please."

He nodded. "The cargo hold is safe for now."

Miranda left first, offering a curt nod as she walked past him.

Jacob saluted. "Your other krogan recruit is done in the med-bay getting his shoulder patched up, said he was going to be in the cargo hold with the krogan tank."

EDI's voice echoed over the room. "Big Boss, the Illusive Man wishes to speak with you." She said, just as the center table began to sink into the floor, opening a connection to the Illusive Man.

Snake stood on the circle in the center, and he was greeted by the familiar sight of the seated, silhouetted man, a lit cigarette held delicately between index and middle finger.

The Illusive Man exhaled. "Boss, I think we have them. Horizon— one of our colonies in the Terminus Systems— just went silent. If it isn't under attack, it soon will be. Has Mordin delivered the countermeasure for the seeker swarms?"

Snake shook his head. He was not sure.

"Let's hope he works well under pressure. There's something else you should know. There's an Alliance team on Horizon, headed by an Operations Chief, Ashley Williams. She's a friend of Donald Anderson, and served on the Normandy with Commander Shepard two years ago."

Snake raised a brow. "I thought Terminus Systems weren't part of the Alliance?"

"Officially, it's an outreach program to improve Alliance relations with the colonies. But they're up to something. And if they sent Chief Williams, it must be big." He dabbed his cigarette and inhaled again.

Snake crossed his arms. "Can you send a message to Anderson?"

The Illusive Man shook his head. "Not until you investigate. I don't want the Alliance getting in our way. Once you have the situation under control, I'll send the message personally. You have my word."

Snake frowned, but agreed.

The Illusive Man snuffed his cigarette. "This is the most warning we've ever had, Boss. Good luck."

He disappeared from view and Snake left the conference room. "Joker, set a course for Horizon."

"You got it, Boss."

He entered the Science Lab, where Mordin stood with a satisfied look on his face as he inspected a flying probe in an isolated chamber.

"Do we have a countermeasure ready?" He asked.

With a proud smile, Mordin nodded. "Yes."

He motioned for Snake to follow him to a terminal and brought up a suit on the holo-screen.

"Seeker swarms rely on heat signature and scent to see. Primarily lactic acid. Have created device to counteract this. Utilizes mixture of chemicals—diethyltoluamide and Dimethyl carbate and low frequency white noise to effectively camouflage against probes. Will be theoretically invisible to seeker swarms." Mordin said enthusiastically.

"Theoretically?"

"Yes." The salarian grinned.

Snake thought him a mad scientist of folklore, proud of his creations, the way he smiled at his success. He ran a hand over his bearded face.

"Are you coming with us?"

"Yes! Will be educational to see if technology works." Mordin nodded gleefully.

Snake nodded. "Make sure they're ready to go. ETA is four hours."

Mordin turned back to the probe that flew into the glass of its prison. "Will do, Big Boss."

He left the lab and was greeted by an excited dog who jumped up at him with a happy bark and slobbery kiss.

He fought hard to supress his amused smile, and gently batted the dog down before scratching her ear with his bionic hand.

Yeoman Chambers grinned widely as she watched the two together. "She's quite remarkable, she's a big hit with the crew, Big Boss."

He smirked, glad that she was growing on the crew. He scratched her stomach as she rolled onto her back and wagged her tail excitedly.

"Anything I should know?" He asked.

"Nothing right now, Boss."

Snake nodded and he stood, leading the dog to the elevator.

"We've got a jump on the Collector's, make sure EDI informs the crew to be ready."

"Will do, Boss." Chambers returned to her terminal.

He and the dog entered the elevator and descended down to the Hangar Bay.

The dog barked as she ran into the hangar, and picked up the knotted rope, gnashing it between her teeth and violently tossing it around before bringing it to Snake.

He wrestled with her for it, pulling and tugging until she finally let go and excitedly waited for him to throw it.

Her energy was a welcome relief, reminding him of favourable old times long since passed. He found himself smiling as he tossed the rope and she ran after it, her paws clicking against the alloyed floor.

She was quick and strong, smart and fearless. He wondered if there were still canine units out in the universe, if she would be able to accompany him on missions if trained properly.

Ocelot had been the one to train DD, and it took quite a long time before he was combat ready. Though still… she appeared smarter than the average service dog, and though easily excited, she listened to commands and did them effortlessly. She even managed to operate the doors with ease, having made her way from the CIC to the hangar bay when she was on her own.

He had set her things down here. Her padded bed, her own water purifier, her automated food dispenser, and a plethora of random toys he purchased.

The dog ran back to him with a happy wag of her tail and a proud saunter, dropping the knotted rope in front of him. He picked it up and gave it another throw, watching her trip over herself to sprint after it again.

The elevator opened, where Zaeed and Jack entered the Hangar Bay.

"Catch." The mercenary called before tossing a green bottle in Snake's direction.

He caught it deftly, and turned the cool bottle over in his hand to see it was an icy beer, _Glacier Light_.

"Doubt you've had one since waking up in this shithole galaxy." Zaeed said as he and Jack joined Big Boss, pulling two more beers from a six pack and set it down at his feet.

"We were just talking about some of the jobs we've done." Jack said taking a big drink of her beer before she picked up the returned knotted rope and tossed it to the other side of the hangar.

The dog gave chase, her nails clicking along the floor.

Zaeed nodded. "Got any worth telling?"

Snake looked at the beer once more before cracking it open.

He had not had a beer in a very long time. He could not even remember when that time was.

He took a quick drink.

It was smooth and sour in his mouth, bubbly and bitter, refreshing and chilly at the same time.

"Jobs?" He asked, watching the dog wrestle the rope as if it were alive.

Zaeed took a long drink. "Yeah, jobs. Contracts. Like, this one job; I led a mission to bring down this turian frigate, the Varakan. It was me and five others and whatever guns we could bring. There was no chance for success, but we did it. Everyone died but me."

He took a drink again. "So I made out like a bandit. My first 'impossible' mission as an independent contractor. There's been many since, but nothing so goddamn sweet since watching that turian warship crash planetside."

Jack whistled. "That's not bad, I think I got you beat though. I got shitfaced this one time with a couple krogans I was running with on this space station over this hanar moon. Couple shots of Ryncol later, there's a new crater on that moon and I'm charged with 'vandalism' when I come to, krogan are long gone."

"An entire fucking space station?" Zaeed laughed.

The woman smiled a vicious grin. "The hanar really liked that moon."

Snake watched the dog return with the knotted rope, dropping between the three of them with a slobbery grin.

Zaeed bent over and picked it up before giving the rope a strong toss to the far side of the hangar. "How 'bout you, Boss?"

One of his toughest missions? There were many to choose from. Nowhere near the scope of destroying an entire warship, like the Ishmael, or crashing a space station into a moon, but most still felt like impossible at the time.

"There was one mission… My partner was captured, I went in to rescue her in Afghanistan. We faced a company of tanks and infantry soldiers together until we were caught in the blast of a 76mm shell. After I woke, she was injured, unconscious and weak, we barely escaped the rest of the company in a sandstorm. I got bit by a snake, and when I came to, she was gone."

He took a sip from the beer, swishing the bitter drink between his teeth.

His heart almost sank when he saw the wound on her stomach, he had never seen her injured so. He remembered feeling the desperation to get her into the sun, to find water somewhere—anywhere. He could feel her in his hands still, seizing and fighting and kicking against him.

He remember in the heat of the moment, when they hid away from the patrolling Soviets, to calm her, he hummed a lullaby to her. Her lullaby. The one she hummed in his ear to tell him her sights were lined up. The one she hummed when they were alone sometimes.

He wished he still had that tape he recorded of her voice.

"Boss!" Zaeed's voice snapped him back to reality. "Guess that's a shit memory. Got my fair share too."

The dog ran over to her bed, tossing a number of the toys that littered the floor around into it before diving into them and readying herself for sleep.

Jack downed the rest of her beer, dropping it in the six pack at Zaeed's feet before she opened another. "Me too. More than the other stories."

Snake looked into his bottle, watching the bubbles inside, fizzle to the top.

"That was in '85, yeah? Afghanistan?" Zaeed asked, grabbing another bottle and cracking it open.

"'86"

Jack snickered. "What are you, a fan?"

Zaeed's face contorted in annoyance. "Goddamn right I am. Blue Suns wouldn't be what they are today if it weren't for Millitares San Frontiers. They'd be a shit merc band like Eclipse or the Blood Pack, struggling under their own goddamn weight."

He directed his attention to Snake. "Vido Santiago, that guy I told you about, remember?"

Snake nodded.

"We were kids, fresh out of the Marines, we did all that killing for the Alliance, and when they didn't need us anymore, they shit us out into the galaxy like we were fucking garbage. We started the Blue Suns then, modelled it after your MSF outfit. A place for people like us—soldiers who got fucked and took any job we could get our hands on, bringing in more men like us along the way."

He took a drink, his brow furrowed, accentuating the lines and scars on his face.

"But that bastard Vido got greedy, it became all about the damn money for him. Started bringing in batarians and turned _my_ men against _me_. He paid six of them to restrain me while he put a gun against my head and pulled the trigger. I've spent twenty years—twenty fucking years, waiting to get that bastard back for fucking me over. I hear his goddamn voice in my sleep! That goddamn bastard!"

The bottle in Zaeed's hand went flying across the hangar then, smashing into pieces against the far wall.

The dog woke with a start, and growled viciously in the seething mercenary's direction, readying herself to lunge if her new owner was placed in danger.

Snake sighed.

This galaxy was rife with revenge. Garrus, Jack and Zaeed, all victims to its alluring ire. It clung like humid mist on a hot summer day. It burned in them, gave them purpose… but he saw what it did to Kaz, when all that rage is leftover.

He did not want to see the same thing happen to these people as it did with his old friend.

He set his empty bottle down into the six pack on the floor, and set a hand on the seasoned mercenary on the shoulder with his bionic one.

"We'll get him." He said before nodding to Jack and turning to leave with a whistle.

The dog followed obediently, as if they had been together since the day she was born.

When Snake disappeared, Jack downed the rest of her beer and dropped it into the pack of empties.

"Hey. You gonna be alright?" She asked casually.

Zaeed nodded, but did not face her. "'Course I am."

She frowned. She was not good at comforting people… but she did understand. Cerberus took everything from her. She wanted nothing more than to kill every single one that had done harm to her in that forsaken base.

"We'll kill that fucker. It's only a matter of time." She related, staring at the tip of her boot.

The mercenary looked at her with a furrowed brow and nodded, stepping away from her.

"Goddamn right. Go on, girl… I'll clean this shit up." He said, walking to where the glass had shattered.

 _I gave Grunt an older brother, and I don't regret any bit of it. I loved that krogan, there was so much potential for him. I can't wait to throw him more into the story. Thanks for the read, I hope you enjoyed! - AThousandSuns_


	10. Chapter IX: My Eyes are Ocean

**Mass Effect: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow**

 **Chapter IX: My Eyes are Ocean**

"So how are the krogan kids?" Garrus asked as the Kodiak departed from the hangar of the Ishmael. He took a seat opposite of Venom Snake, and set his Viper between his legs comfortably.

"They're holding up." Big Boss said, looking out the window into the void of space.

He had visited the storage bay to see how their newest recruit was after the battle on Korsul.

When he entered, he saw the krogan unmasked for the first time.

The plate over his brow was murky green, and segmented, reminding him of old medical photographs of a child's still developing skull. His eyes fell on Snake in hues of midnight blue with a split of black in the middle, and his skin reflected off the florescent lights above in leathery yellow.

He stood by the tank, leaning close to it, whispering to the sleeping krogan within. When he saw Snake, he stepped away from the tank and approached him, "I am… trying to speak to him. The way father did with me." He said.

Snake looked into the tank with curiosity.

The krogan within did not move, with the exception of an odd twitch of his fingers or lips here and there.

"Any luck?" He asked.

The krogan shook his head. "I don't know. I speak, whisper into his ear, and I see only shadow of movement. Maybe it is because I am not father, and maybe he knows."

Snake looked to the monitor at the side of the tank, from what he could understand, everything appeared nominal.

EDI's voice filled the air, echoing from above. "Subject is stable, Big Boss. Integration with onboard systems was seamless. Current neural-patterns indicate minimal cognition. Barring ship-wide power loss, the nutrients in the tank could sustain him for over a year."

The krogan walked over to the front of the tank and took a seat at its base. "The voice from the walls says he is exceptional for krogan. Perfect." He gloomed.

EDI's voice chimed. "If I may say, you yourself are an excellent krogan specimen as well. Though Okeer's data imprinting may have failed, you are in excellent physical condition."

Snake nodded. "And you're alive." He said assuredly.

The krogan grunted affirmatively. "Many brothers died, and I live. Okeer died, and I live. I will survive. I will show I am perfect too. " He looked into the tank.

Snake followed his gaze. "Do you want to release him?"

The krogan shifted in his seat. "I… no. Not yet. I want to whisper to him. Tell him; do not be scared. To tell him he is perfect. I am his brother, born from glass-mother too. He is not alone."

The old veteran smiled a hidden smile. _Brotherhood._ He was pleased that it spanned over species.

He left the krogan then, telling him of the mission coming up, but to relax until his shoulder fared better before he joined them again, and to watch after the tank alongside EDI.

Garrus snickered. "Hopefully they don't go stir crazy in that storage bay. Krogan aren't exactly known for their love of confined spaces."

Goldstein helmed the shuttle through the red and orange clouds, until the colony came into view.

Snake looked out the window and saw an enormous structure or ship, the tallest he had ever seen. It was monstrous. The clouds above seemed to skirt around the shaft, and it glowed red in the evening sun, like a beacon of hell tasting the heavenly skies.

"I don't see any movement down there, Boss." Garrus said, peering out the window as well.

He saw it too, that the residences were bare and empty. The only movement he saw, were the swirling black swarms in the air, moving about like locusts at harvest.

He lifted his Mattock and switched it from Safety to Auto, and the rest of the crew did the same.

He had told Garrus to stay behind, given the mission they completed only hours ago, but the turian sniper objected, claiming that he knew Ashley Williams from serving on the Normandy with Commander Shepard, and that she was a good soldier, and a good person. He wanted to know why she and the Alliance were out in the Terminus systems.

The Kodiak found a clear patch of ground for a landing zone; a far distance from the towering ship, but near the closest settlement.

Goldstein leaned out from her seat. "We're groundside. Give 'em hell, Boss." She said.

When the doors opened, Snake, Miranda, Garrus, Mordin, and Kasumi planted their feet on the fertile soil beneath.

The blowing wind was warm against his face, carrying the sweet smell of summer with it, a scent he had almost forgotten completely.

He looked up above and watched one of the black swarms from the quarian Veetor's vids fly overhead.

Garrus stood beside him, following the seekers with his visor. "So Mordin, you're certain this armor upgrade is going to work? We aren't going to get probed by these swarms, are we?" He asked.

"Certainty impossible. But in limited numbers, should confuse detection, make us invisible to swarms. In theory." Mordin's voice rang heartily.

"Well… so long as it's in theory, and not positively. We can't have everything go right." The turian mused.

"Um… Maybe I'll see you guys back on the Ishmael." Kasumi added, staring up at the massive structure not too far in the distance.

"Experimental technology. Only contact with seeker swarms will ensure positivity. Look forward to seeing if we survive." The salarian said.

Snake noted the optimism in the salarian scientist's voice, though he was not sure if it was in regard to their safety, or perhaps his desire to be scientifically correct. Perhaps it was a combination of the two.

"Form up, Garrus watch our six." He ordered, shoving the thought away as he led them toward the colony with the turian bringing up the rear.

The grass whistled below their feet as they approached the first complex, an eerie hush hung around them like a dark mist.

Miranda murmured, "This is a perfect place for an ambush, Boss."

Snake agreed. His soldier's sense whispered it in his ear, making his hair stand on the back of his neck. "Garrus, overwatch on that ridge. Miranda, cover him, Kasumi, Mordin, on me."

Operating as a team again… He had to admit, that he had missed it. When Quiet disappeared, and when DD had been turned into diamonds, and when Kaz was long gone, back in America, he had operated alone ever since, no support, and no one to rely on but himself. Being part of a team once more, it almost made him feel young again.

Once Garrus and Miranda were in position, Snake took point into the complex, his steps only a hushed crunch beneath his boots.

"Do you guys hear a weird buzzing sound?" Kasumi asked with a shallow breath.

Big Boss listened, and could hear it faintly in the wind.

" _Boss, contact. It's the Collectors!"_ Garrus' voice chattered over the codec-radio.

Three insectoid figures began to descend into view, through the trees and across the way and landed on the far side of the compound. They inspected the area, as if searching for something that should not be there.

"Fan out. Don't get spotted." Snake ordered, finding cover behind a pillar nearby.

Kasumi disappeared beneath her cloak while Mordin ducked low and behind a wall.

He studied the way they moved moved. It was abnormal, as if without sentience, like they were marionettes on a stage. They were coordinated and precise, where one looked, another spied the other way. Their voices were low clicks and deep thrums that his translator could not decipher.

Miranda's voice crackled over the radio. _"Boss, we can take them out quick and quiet."_

The old veteran agreed— they had the advantage here.

"Fire on my mark." He whispered into his codec. He watched from behind the pillar, leaning out ever so slightly, and judged the synchronized movements of the aliens.

With a careful step out from cover, he aimed his rifle and used the pillar as a brace for its recoil.

He held in his breath, counted once and the rifle fired twice. The bullets collided with the Collector facing away from him, knocking its barrier down, and in the span of a millisecond, a second bullet blew through one of its four eyes, Garrus' Viper echoed across to the ridge beyond.

The other Collectors ducked and dove into cover as Snake's company opened fire on them.

He watched as Kasumi disappeared from view before one of the Collectors that hid away was kicked back into their sights, where Mordin and Garrus unleashed a barrage of rounds into it.

The last Collector fired up at the turian sniper, but the rounds were deflected as Miranda conjured a biotic barrier.

Snake stepped out and fired his Mattock continuously as he moved closer, pushing it back away from sight.

Kasumi appeared behind a planter, firing her Tempest in short bursts at the alien. It changed its line of fire, aiming its rifle at the newly appeared danger.

But Snake saw his opportunity and rushed in, the Mattock in his hands peppered it with heavy rounds until he saw its barrier dissipate as it spun to return fire.

The Collector let out a mouthless hiss as his and Kasumi's combined effort filled it with holes until it fell back into the grass, staining it with putrid red.

Stillness fell over the complex, and after some odd beats, Snake nodded to Garrus, who stood with Miranda and jumped down from their higher ground, announcing the all clear.

They converged on Snake, who regarded the Collector on the ground. He bent down and retrieved its weapon, giving it a once over. It was light and compact, fitting into his hand perfectly, despite its obvious worn grip, a symbol of persistent use. He slid the Collector rifle onto his back, locking it into the magnetic holster.

Mordin was the first to join him, observing the dead creature. "Most fascinating." He whispered, dropping himself to one knee and turning the aliens face over in his hand, inspecting its features.

"Notice anything strange?" Kasumi asked, her face scrunched at the sight of the salarian who looked over the dead creature without a thought.

"Curious shape. No mouth. Hard exoskeleton but weak against firearms. Biotic barriers. Plasma based weapons. Should bring one back with us, Boss. Can study it further." The salarian said, looking up at Snake.

Snake nodded. It would only benefit them to learn more of their adversaries.

"We'll have the shuttle recover one of the bodies." Miranda said, turning on her omni-tool and prepping the body for extraction.

"Form up. On me." Snake said, making sure his Mattock was loaded and ready.

He led the group out of the complex, passing abandoned trucks and many items left in their place.

"Boss…—tting all kinds of… —ference. We can't maintain…—" Joker's voice suddenly sounded over the radio, crackling and buzzing in and out.

"That ship is blocking our communications." Miranda said, pointing to the Collector vessel above.

"We're on our own now." Garrus said and sighed wistfully, "Just like old times."

Snake dropped down from the ledge into the next complex. A mess hall to his right revealed plates of empty food and cutlery scattered about.

It was bizarre to him. On this colony, it looked as if there was a scuffle or fight with the populous.

"Signs of struggle. Blood on floors and grass. Broken windows, readings of hacked doors to be locked. Colonists must have been aware of Seeker Swarms at time of attack." Mordin echoed his thoughts.

Another group of Collectors appeared, though there seemed to be something—

"Look out, Boss, husks!" Garrus shouted and aimed his rifle downrange. His Viper sent the charging humanoid creature reeling backward, falling down the staircase it barely climbed.

They engaged the Collectors and husks, exchanging gunfire until the last one fell into a picnic table behind it, dousing it in the foods left behind.

When all appeared clear, Snake reloaded his rifle, and the other converged on his location, in front of the original dead husk.

"These things look like the husks the geth used on Eden Prime." Miranda said, eying it.

Its eyes glowed an eerie blue, matching the segmented lines and spots the covered its body in seemingly random—yet precise locations.

"The geth got that technology from Sovereign." Garrus spoke, facing away from the husk.

Mordin hummed. "The Illusive Man's intel was correct; Collectors _are_ working for Reapers." She said.

Kasumi judged the husk closer. "This thing used to be human, didn't it? Is it one of the colonists?" She asked with an almost gag.

Garrus shook his head. "The ones Shepard encountered on Eden Prime, the victims were impaled on giant spikes to turn them into husks. Dragon's Teeth, we called them. We haven't seen any on Horizon so far. The Collectors must've had these husks already. They must want the colonists alive for something else."

He bent low and turned its face over in his hand, examining its grotesque features.

Miranda observed with him. "These aren't the same ones from Eden Prime either. They're more advanced. Evolved." She said curiously.

Mordin touched his finger to his chin. "Bullets still effective."

Snake pushed away any questions he had that Anderson's intel would be able to answer. What was important right now were the colonists, they had to rescue them, before they were turned into these things, or worse.

He readied the Mattock in his hands and gestured for the others to follow him, leading them out of the recreational area. They rounded a corner, passing under a bridge above and into the next compound of apartments.

Numerous bioorganic cellular pods sat scattered about like empty coffins, but the Collectors were nowhere to be seen.

"This is creepy… Where'd they all go?" Kasumi whispered, looking into one of the empty pods.

"Must have finished taking the colonists from this area. Need to hurry." Mordin's omni-tool glowed in the summer sun as he scanned one of the pods.

They moved into the apartments, just as more Collectors revealed themselves.

Through the gunfire and past their enemies, Snake could see the figures of humans, being placed in pods and carried away, toward the giant structure in the sky.

He pushed forward with Mordin and Miranda at his heel, while Kasumi and Garrus flanked around the alien squadron until they were finally put down.

With the complex finally cleared, the moved forward, passing over a loading deck to the next area.

"Boss, colonists!" Miranda exclaimed.

There were two of them, locked in place while exuding a peculiar black mist. One lay on the platform at the bottom of a staircase, while the other gripped her hand tight in an effort to lift her up. They looked as if they were in a photograph, stilled for a thousand years.

Mordin rushed over with Miranda and began to inspect the frozen pair.

"Hmm… Stuck in some sort of stasis, but appear to be fully aware. Eye response to light. Muscle and joint locked due to seeker toxin. Unsure what black mist might be…" The salarian scientist concluded.

"It could be some sort of manufactured biotic field. Engineered to mix with the seeker toxin. Look." Miranda pointed to a hole in the neck of the woman, "It's strongest around the injection point."

Mordin nodded. "Don't have cure. Have to wait for toxin to wear off. Must save more colonist first."

He leaned forward to the man forced to stand. "Everything will be alright." He soothed, and stood back with a smile.

They rejoined Snake who nodded and motioned for Garrus to take point. The turian tapped his shoulder as he passed him and led them forward, to the giant structure above.

They rounded another corner until they came to a docking pad and a large hangar door on the far side.

"Boss, look." Kasumi shouted, gesturing to one of the pods. "There's more colonists, and better yet…" She hefted a large weapon, strange in design like the other Collector weapon he found.

Mordin inspected it curiously. "Looks like particle beam weapon. Outlawed research. Not surprised Collectors manufacture it."

"What's it do?" Kasumi asked.

"Uses beam of high-energy subatomic particles to disrupt molecular structure of target. Incredibly dangerous, very unforgiving."

The thief snickered and slung it onto her back. "Nice."

"Come on." Snake said, tapping Garrus' shoulder and taking point this time. He led them into the open loading bay.

More Collectors appeared through the trees.

"Contact!" Garrus shouted.

Snake fired his Mattock, striking the closest Collector he could see. "Spread out!" He shouted to the others.

The group fanned out, finding cover behind fallen pillars, shipping crates and the empty Collector pods. Hot plasma fired above their heads, striking the buildings behind them, searing into its metal.

Snake leaned out, and fired his rifle, disabling its barrier and knocking it to the ground with a volley of bullets to its cranium.

He shifted his point of aim to another, as three more Collectors appeared from behind the far wall. He glimpsed Garrus to his far left, using the apartment entrance as an elevated sniping position.

A fiery sight caught the corner of his eye, as one of the Collector's burst into mighty flames and for a moment, he saw a man of fire, tall and monstrous; his eyes bright like glowing embers.

Snake could feel the fires against his face, melting his skin, and burning him with hellish revenge. He could feel the sweat on his brow evaporate in the flames of fury. The Man on Fire groaned with agony and rage, taking slow, dead steps toward him, leaving scorched earth in his wake.

A force pushed him down to the ground, keeping him pinned as he struggled to break free against it.

He had to stop him. He had to stop the Man on Fire from burning him. He had to put Colonel Volgin to rest for good.

"Boss! Snap out of it!" Miranda barked at him, looking down, deep into his icy eye. She was on top of him, his face cradled tightly in the palm of her hands.

The world around returned to him, and his mind snapped back into reality.

He breathed and nodded to her, and she moved off of him, taking cover beside.

"One of the Collectors went through some kind of metamorphosis!" She shouted.

He peered over the shipping crate to see the burning figure, its eyes a glowing spot in the light of the setting sun.

A disembodied voice filled the air, almost echoing around them.

"WE ARE THE HARBINGER OF YOUR ASCENDANCE."

Snake dipped low as the burning Collector launched a ball of black fire directed at him. It seared into the crate he and Miranda hid behind, melting the side of it into a gooey mess of oily sludge.

"YOUR PERSON IS UNKNOWN TO US."

Its voice boomed at them as it launched another dark ball of molten flame.

The Collector buckled as a bullet connected with its barrier, turning its attention to the shooter.

"TURIAN; YOU ARE CONSIDERED, TOO PRIMITIVE FOR ASCENSION." It said and turned, launching another ball of fire at Garrus.

"Uh oh." The sniper whispered as he dove back into the apartment when the blast connected with the wall he once stood behind.

" _Boss! All Collectors accounted for. Only metamorphosed Collector remains!"_ Mordin's voice sounded over the Codec-radio in a realm of static.

Snake leaned out from the pod and fired the Mattock at the Collector's exposed back. The rounds bounced off its barrier like they were stones skipping over water.

It turned its attention back to Big Boss, preparing another attack.

Kasumi appeared from behind, and fired her Tempest point blank into the back of its head, before disappearing in an instant when it swung back to strike her.

Miranda seized the opportunity next, by lifting one of the shipping crates and whipping it at the Collector, smashing it so hard that it reeled into the loading dock behind.

The glowing purple aura around it dissipated, and it retaliated by picking up the container in its hand and hurling it at Snake and Miranda's position.

They dove over to the Collector pod beside them as the container crashed into their previous location, obliterating the weakened pod into nothing.

" _Will use a Cyro Blast. Use Incinerate immediately after. Should weaken metamorphosed Collector's carapace!"_ Mordin's voice relayed over the radio.

A blast of glowing white danced through the air like a shooting star, and struck the Collector with an icy shatter, ensnaring it in a frozen gel.

Snake primed his Incinerate on his omni-tool, and threw it at the frozen Collector.

Its icy prison began to crack as it tried to break free, but was thrusted backward when Snake's own sphere of burning gel crashed into its chest, erupting in an explosion that forced the Collector back again into the loading dock.

Its chest oozed and bled with black goo, dripping onto the summer grass below.

"Light it up!" Garrus shouted, his sniper rifle set aside, replaced with his M-15 Vindicator.

They rained hell into the Collector, firing their weapons into the open cavity of its chest. The fiery segmented lines that spread over its body dimed like the light of a candle at the end of its wick, and it looked up from the black mass of its chest, and at Snake, just as its body began to fall apart and carry itself away in the wind as dust.

"YOU HAVE ONLY DELAYED THE INEVITABLE, HUMAN. WE ARE YOUR DESTINY."

The Collector's form was gone, diminished only to a smoking pile of ash where it once stood.

With the battle over, Snake stood as the area appeared clear.

The group joined him at the base of where the Collector once stood. They peered down into the remnants of what was left of it.

"Took a lot to bring him down." Kasumi said from beneath her hood.

Snake agreed. If there were more such as that one, they were in for a rough ride. But what it had said was what really caught his attention, and he hoped their omni-tools recorded the battle.

"Was anyone else a little offended when he called me primitive?" Garrus slipped his Vindicator onto his back and cradled his Viper in his hands once again. "I was a little offended."

"What did it mean by Ascension?" Asked Miranda.

Mordin drew his omni-tool and inspected the dust, but scrunched his face in disappointment. "Unsure. Maybe Collectors intend to conscript human race into ranks. Maybe not. Won't know until concrete evidence is found."

Big Boss stepped away from the ashes, and instead inspected one of the Collector pods, peering into the glass front. Inside, he saw the petrified face of one of the colonists, a woman. Her eyes danced on his, and he could see the faint lines of tear strewn eye makeup.

He looked around, and noticed most of the pods around them were full of colonists.

They weren't too late after all… there were still some survivors left. He looked over to the large processing bay door ahead that would lead to the next area, closer to the ship.

"Stack up on the door." He said, making sure his thermal clip was loaded.

They moved to the large door, and Kasumi got to work on hacking it open.

"We managed to save these colonists." Garrus said, looking back into the loading area, at the various Collector pods filled with humans.

"Not all of them though." Miranda said.

"Some, better than none." Mordin interjected, his arms crossed with a finger on his chin, watching Kasumi work away.

The hooded thief exclaimed pleasantly when the door went from red to green, and the team readied themselves for what lay on the other side.

Snake took point, leading the way with his Mattock.

A clatter on the far side of the room drew their attention, their rifles trained on the location.

When nothing else happened, Snake called into the shadows. "Come on out."

A man's face shuffled into view, before he stepped out into the open apprehensively. "You… you're human! What are you doing out here?! You'll lead 'em right here!"

The group lowered their weapons, and Kasumi and Garrus walked over to the door on the far side to get it open.

"Had to have heard them trying to get in. Difficult to hide from Collectors." Said Mordin, scratching his chin.

The man's face read terrified all over it. "Those things are Collectors? You mean… they're real?" He ran a hand over his face in disbelief. "I thought they were just made up. You know—propaganda. To keep us in Alliance Space. They got Lilith… I saw her go down. Sten, too. They got damn near everybody!" He panicked.

Miranda went onto her omni-tool. "What's your name? What do you do here?" She asked.

"Name's Delan. Mechanic. I came down to check on the main grid after we lost our comm signals. Then I heard screaming. I looked outside and there was… swarms of bugs. Everyone they touched just froze. I sealed the doors."

He spun around, with a face of rage now. "Damn it— it's the Alliance's fault! They stationed that Chief Williams here and built those defense towers. It made us a target!"

Garrus' turned to face him this time. "What happened to Williams, is she alive?"

Delan shook his head. "Can't say, after the doors were sealed, I hid myself in the storage closet."

"What was she doing here?"

"Supposed to be helpin' us get the defense towers up and running. Some sorta outreach program the Alliance was doing. I got the feeling she was here for something else. Spying on us, maybe."

"What are the defense towers?" Snake asked.

"A gift from the Alliance. High-powered GARDIAN laser cannons. Supposed to keep hostile ships from landing near the colony. Had to build a massive underground generator just to give it enough juice. Only we couldn't get the targeting systems online!"

He scoffed. "The Alliance gave us a giant gun that can't shoot straight. Stupid sons of bitches."

"We could use those towers to take out that Collector ship, Boss." Miranda suggested, walking over to the door to join Garrus and Kasumi.

"You'd need to calibrate the targeting systems first. It's never worked right." Delan countered.

Kasumi stood as the door flashed to green, ready to go. "Pft, _please_. Just give us the location." She said with a flair of confidence.

"Head for the main transmitter, past the cargo inspection building. Pretty hard to miss. The targeting controls are at the base."

Snake nodded. "Let's go. Lock the door behind us." Snake said, stepping away from the mechanic.

If he stayed here, he would be safe, and if Snake were to be honest, he was growing weary of his Alliance revulsion.

"You don't gotta tell me twice." Delan said.

The group moved into the inspection compound, and the door slammed close behind them.

The air was still, the building ahead bare of life, not a soul, nor sole were seen. It was empty like the colonies on Freedom's Progress had been. Which told Venom Snake that the Collectors had already cleared this area, maybe even further ahead. Even the Seeker swarms above were gone, adding to the foreboding realization.

"Not much time left. Must hurry." Mordin said from behind his omni-tool.

They moved over to the other side of the sector, their footsteps on the alloy floors an eerie echo in the complex.

After Kasumi hacked the door, it opened to a massive shipping yard. Containers and crates sat askew, transporter vehicles were left unattended, one of them left idling, and in the center was the main transmitter Delan had spoken of, tall and jutting.

There were no Collector pods, no Collectors, no Seeker swarms and no husks.

"Anybody else getting that prickly feeling on the back of their neck?" Garrus asked aloud, as he inspected around a corner for any sign of activity.

Snake felt it too. The yard was an open gallery, but provided a high number of cover and chokepoints. They could mount a sizeable defensive position if ambushed.

"Let's get that transmitter up and running." Said Miranda, and they moved into the yard carefully.

When they arrived at the base of the antenna, Kasumi got to work on hacking the computer. Once the lock was lifted, their codec radios sprang back to life, and a flurry of transmissions cycled through the static until Snake heard Joker on the other side.

" _Boss, is that you? Come in,"_ The pilot's voice was a warm welcome, telling them that the Ishmael was still there, safe and sound, waiting for them to come back.

"Joker, we're alive. We're going to use the GARDIAN towers to hit the Collector ship. EDI, can you get the towers online?" Miranda informed first.

Snake stepped away from the computer, and looked in direction of the ship.

It did not feel right, the way the air clung to his skin, the tranquillity of the trees and grass. His eye searched and his gut knotted.

Garrus joined him at his side. "They're gonna come pouring over that wall. I can feel it. Now that we have comms back online." The turian said.

Snake nodded. "We'll set up a defensive perimeter. Make sure they can't flank us."

EDI's voice vibrated in his ear next, _"Errors in calibration software are easily rectified, but it will take time to bring the towers to full power."_

Mordin waved his hand in Snake's direction, before pointing down into a storage container he had opened. "Thermal clips, Boss. Should prepare for the worst."

" _I recommend a defensive posture immediately. Once the towers are online, I will not be able to mask the increased generator output."_

The group prepared themselves, loading up on thermal clips and finding their positions around the yard.

"Any other helpful tips, EDI?" Kasumi asked jokingly from behind her Tempest.

" _Just one: Collector reinforcements are closing in. I suggest you ready weapons."_

The far wall was quickly a river of falling bodies as husks began to pour over and into the shipping yard.

"Engaging!" Garrus shouted, hoisting his Viper from atop one of the trucks, firing the weapon and erupting heads into bloody paste.

The team rained hell fire on the husks, some as soon as they appeared over the edge of the wall, others that hit the ground, never had a chance to rise from the place they landed.

"Above us! Nine o'clock!" Miranda shouted, aiming her Locust upward to the left of the yard.

Collectors flew in over the barriers, their wings a dreaded beat in the wind.

Garrus shifted his focus, joining Miranda in destroying their barriers and gunning them down as they appeared.

Snake continued to fire his Mattock at the husks that continued to charge at them.

He pushed away the thought that these were once humans, turned into these shells of that acted like cannon fodder for their rifles. Death was peace, there was no alternative, and the dead should remain as such.

" _Bypassing failsafes and attempting emergency power-up. Please hold the defense tower, Big Boss."_

"To our right!" Mordin shouted, changing his aim of fire as husks and Collectors began to climb down the wall on the right side of the shipping yard.

Snake switched his point of fire, dropping the husks who came closest. They were going to be overrun at this velocity. As they killed Collectors and husks, more and more of them appeared to take their places.

An idea floated through his head as he scanned the shipping yard to the idling truck at their right. He moved to where Miranda ducked low behind a crate, reloading her Locust.

She looked at him with a quirked brow.

"How do we blow up that freight loader?" He asked between firing his Mattock, and gestured his head to it.

The woman crooked a smile. "We could ignite the solid-fuel tank. That should light a big enough fuse to destroy the eezo core, and cause an explosion. We'd have to get under it." She informed, locked and loaded.

"Can you push it over?"

She hesitated before nodding. "I can."

Snake squinted at her. The brief expression on her face betrayed a sense of worry. "It won't be too much?"

"I'll push the transporter over, hit it with an Incinerate at the thruster fuel tank under the bed of the truck." She said, with no room for question.

It was his moment to hesitate before he nodded and put a hand on her shoulder, moving back to his cover from before.

"Mordin, cover Miranda." He shouted into his radio.

The salarian scientist pointed his Carnifex in Miranda's direction, dropping the husk nearest her with deathly efficiency.

She stood tall and pushed her arms forward at the freight loader. A blue aura swam around her, twisting in the breeze as the transporter began to move. She felt a swelling in her head, and her brain threatened to burst out of her skull. She pushed harder, and the transporter keeled over onto its side with a crunching metal sound.

She fell to the ground with a huff, pushing herself back against the crate she hid behind, "Now, Boss!" She shouted through gritted teeth.

Snake adjusted his omni-tool and launched the Incinerate at the truck. It struck the fuel tank, sparking a river of flame before a large explosion erupted from its underside.

Collectors and husks flew through the air as their bodies were ripped and torn apart from the unbalanced mass effect field that burst forth from the damaged eezo core.

Their numbers were now in half, and dropping rapidly as Garrus, Kasumi, Mordin began to cut them down with hellfire.

" _Sequential power up initiated. GARDIAN anti-ship batteries at 60%. Syncing targeting protocols to the Ishmael's system. Continue to protect the tower."_

It was not long before the shipping yard was a battlefield of corpses and smoke and fire.

Venom Snake walked over to Miranda, who stood also, and gripped her head lightly.

"I'm fine, Boss." She said before he even asked. When she saw his face, rife with worry, she smiled with assurance. "Trust me."

He sighed inwardly and nodded, turning to the others as they grouped on him. "Everyone else?"

"Couple shots to the armor, face looks like hell. Nothing to worry about." Garrus informed, picking up more thermal clips from the crate nearby.

"Same here, only a few scrapes and bruises." Kasumi chimed.

"Incoming hostile!" Mordin shouted, and pointed his Carnifex to the north wall.

Snake followed his direction and pointed the Mattock at the incoming enemy.

Disbelief clung onto him as he saw a creature, large and monstrous, fly toward them from above. Its eyes glowed, much like the husks they had gunned down, expect there were a dozen eyes on them, from the heads of screaming husks in its underbelly.

"Spread out!" He shouted, and the four of them broke off from each other. There were no more husks or Collectors appearing, only this last one.

Their bullets bounced off its glowing barrier, doing nothing to slow its descent.

From its largest eyes, they sparkled devilishly at its head before two surging beams launched in Snake's direction.

"Down, boss! Particle beams! One blast could cut you in half!" Mordin cried. Snake ducked low behind the wreck of the smoking truck, and moved away from the beam as it pierced through the metal, disintegrating it in its fiery path.

He had it distracted, its aim solely on him. If he could keep is attention away from his team, they could attack it from behind and drop its barrier.

The particle beams chased him, as he dove from behind the charred transporter to the shipping crate.

It was closer now, only so many feet away from him. He watched as crates and junk were launched at it from Miranda, barely even making a shift in its course toward him.

Garrus' and Mordin's explosive rounds bounced off its barrier, not even displaying a dent in its power.

Snake rolled from the crate he hid behind as the particle beams disintegrated it, leaving only melted alloy behind.

It was too close now, the husk heads that sat in its pouch shrieked as the beams ceased. He stood and fired the Mattock off at its exposed head, his bullets only ricocheted away.

Its sharp claws opened at its side, and violently slammed into the ground in front of him.

He was reeling through the air. He felt his body threaten to shrink beneath gravity, but also rip itself apart. He did not know how it happened, or what sent him rocketing through the air, he only saw black in the next instant.

Miranda watched as his body slammed into one of the shipping containers and dropped to the ground. Big Boss' body did not rise after, his figure lumped on the ground.

If he was dead, she could not tell. Worry and dread consumed her as she watched the Collector construct march its way toward him.

"Its biotic barrier is down!" Mordin shouted.

"Concentrate fire on the big bastard! Don't let it get Big Boss!" Garrus ordered as he switched from his Vindicator to his Viper, smacking it clear of its spent thermal clip and began to unload its high velocity rounds.

" _GARDIAN anti-ship batteries at 100%. I have control."_ EDI's voice echoed.

"Light it up!" Garrus shouted.

" _Firing anti-ship batteries at Collector vessel."_

The large cannons that stood outside the north wall revved to life, spinning their barrels and adjusting the direction before firing up at the Collector ship beyond, hitting it with heavy tungsten shells in short and controlled bursts.

Mordin fired off a Cyro Blast as Kasumi appeared from the top of the transmitter, raining gunfire down at the stalking behemoth with her Tempest.

Miranda lifted her hands and slammed them down, the Collector dropped to the ground in that instant, before turning its head around, staring at Miranda with its hollow eyes.

It began to rise again, as its purple aura encased it again, surrounding it in its protective barrier.

"It's on you Miranda! Move!" The turian shouted.

Miranda turned and dove over the nearest crate, ducking low as its particle beams fired over her head. She peered around the crate at Big Boss, his body unmoving still.

"Need a plan guys!" She shouted and rolled to the next crate as the one she was behind fell apart beneath the power of the beams.

"Biotic explosion is barrier pulse!" Mordin shouted from behind his pillar as he reloaded his Carnifex.

"It'll need time to cool down." Replied the turian sniper. "You still got that particle cannon, Kasumi?"

The master thief's voice sounded over the radio. "You bet."

Miranda dove over to another container, running and crawling from the particle beams that traced after her. "I'll get it to drop its barrier, then you guys put it down!" She shouted over the radio.

"Copy!" Garrus said and dropped from his perch, moving to get a better vantage point.

Kasumi did the same, swan diving into a roll from the top of the transmitter and vanishing in a flash.

" _Multiple impacts. Collector vessel taking damage."_ EDI's voice resonated.

Miranda watched as the Collector construct floated toward her, before it stopped once close enough, and the clawed spines of its arms opened up.

"Get ready!" She shouted. Its purple glow grew stronger, and almost quicker than she could see, the construct shot down into the ground, and its barrier pulsed outward.

Miranda dropped to one knee and pushed her hands out, her biotics danced off her in silky tones of blue before a sphere encased her.

The Collectors own barrier shattered hers, but only managed to knock her down and onto her back. She felt her brain swell, pushing against her skull painfully, and her bones and muscles weighed down and weak. "Now!" She shouted through gritted teeth, as she began to crawl back, away from the Collector.

Garrus fired his Vindicator first, his shots bounced off its armor.

"Aim for husks in pouch! Must be acting as power conduit for construct!" Mordin shouted, firing his Carnifex into the screaming heads of the husks beneath the Collector.

The heads began to explode under the construct and it began to buckled, its legs locking, stuttering, and its arms swatted at the ground beneath it.

Kasumi appeared in front of Miranda, on one knee with the Particle Cannon in her hands. She squeezed the trigger and the weapon roared to life. The strength of the beam hit the screeching husks, cutting and burning and melting their faces into a black ooze that smoked into a heap on the ground.

The construct twitched and seized, before falling to the ground when the husks screamed no more. It began to burn away, and its body turned to ash that disappeared in the wind, coating the grass in black soot.

Miranda rose to her feet quickly, slipping once in the dirt before she ran over to Big Boss, with Mordin behind her.

He had not moved, and she feared the worse. She dropped to her knees and carefully pushed him onto his back, inspecting his form to see if there was any outside damage she could see.

She knelt down and hung her ear over his nose and lips and listened.

He exhaled, slow and hitched.

"He's alive." She said, as Mordin joined her at her side.

"Conscious?" He asked, opening his omni-tool.

She delicately lifted Big Boss' eyelid, and shone a light into his vision. His pupils dilated, and his eye forced itself shut before he groaned.

"Yes." She smiled as his head moved to the side, a pained expression on his face.

The world was bright and grey, when he finally opened his eye. Snake could only see the blurred faces of Miranda and Mordin above him. He could hear the sound of billowing cannon fire in the distance. Things returned into focus, and sound started to fill his ears.

"Are you alright, Boss?" Miranda asked.

He blinked before nodding, and shifted to hoist himself up. Everything spun around him, and his stomach turned, threatening to make him gag.

"Easy, Boss." Mordin said, dismissing his omni-tool. "You appear fine. No fractures, bruised ribs at most. Most likely a concussion."

"What happened to the Collector?" Snake asked, his voice like gravel in his throat.

"Tough son of a bitch, but we brought it down after it knocked you out." Miranda replied.

"The ship's leaving!" Kasumi shouted, drawing the attention of the others.

The Collector ship ignited, its rocket sending it skyward, shaking the very earth, its roar deafening until it faded from the atmosphere.

"Most of the colonists are on board. Damn it. They got what they came for." Garrus said, as he and the others watched the ship disappear through the clouds.

Delan came running into view, pointing up at the Collector ship, "No! Don't let'em get away!"

"Half the colony's in there! They took Egan and Sam and—and Lilith! Do something!" He cried hysterically.

Venom Snake began to hoist himself up again, and when Miranda began to protest, he raised a hand, shushing any word she might say.

He stood slowly on shaky legs, using the container that he had once used as a landing pad as support. He ignored the nausea and splitting headache that quaked in his brain. He nearly fell down again, but Mordin looped Snake's arm behind his neck, helping him stand.

Kasumi appeared beside Delan, looking up into the sky also. "Could be a lot worse, buddy. If it wasn't for us, you'd all be on that ship."

A new woman came walking into view, "That was mighty fine shooting Vakarian." She sounded, and Garrus pointed his rifle in its direction, before seeing who it was.

"Ash?"

The mechanic shook his head. "All the good people we lost, and you get left behind. Figures." He began to leave the way he came, shaking his head as he angrily mumbled something about being done with Alliance types.

Garrus approached the armored woman, nodding in greeting. "Ash. Damn it's good to see a friendly face."

She offered a hand, and he shook it with a firm grip. "Likewise, but I have to ask, what're you doing here? Last I heard, you fell off the galactic map."

His mandibles flicked in a smirk, "You know, saving lives, killing mercs, saving the galaxy, the usual. Helps to have Cerberus pushing us though. A lot less—"

The woman took a step back with a raised brow, "Cerberus? How are you… why…?"

She looked at him angrily, as a mother would scold her child, "You know what they've done right? What they're capable of? You saw it, when we were with Shep…" She cut herself off, casting a pained glance at the ground.

"They're the enemy, Garrus. They talk about putting humans first, but at what cost?"

Garrus shook his head in irritation, "I remember. But they're the only ones looking into the missing colonies. Thousands of them are missing, and no one is doing a damn thing about it."

She glared at him. "What if they're behind it? What if Cerberus are the ones working with the Collectors?" She retorted.

Miranda clucked her tongue against her teeth in annoyance as she approached. "Typical Alliance response." She said.

"You're letting how you feel about their history get in the way of the facts, Ash. People—are—dying. Look around you." Garrus reiterated, gesturing to the colony.

The woman refused, her brows anchored in fury. "It doesn't add up, Garrus! Do you feel like you owe them or something? Maybe you're being used by them! They're the enemy! You can't seriously—"

"Damn it, Williams!" Garrus shouted, shaking his head. "You're so focused on Cerberus that you're ignoring the real threat!"

"Doesn't matter… I still know where my loyalties lie. I'm an Alliance soldier. It's in my blood." She shot back before taking another step back.

"I'm reporting back to the Citadel. I'll let them decide if they believe you or not." She turned to leave.

Garrus huffed. "Anderson knows we're out here."

She stopped, dead in her tracks for a second before spinning to face the turian. "What?"

"We met him on the Citadel. He gave us everything he had on the Reapers. That's who the Collectors are working for."

Williams froze, looking between him and his motley crew. "…Why?"

"Because, he sees the bigger picture. Bureaucracy won't save these colonists. He knows it's the Reapers."

He breathe out. "Just like he knew that they killed Shepard. Not the geth. But the Reapers."

There was a silence around them, sifting through the air. Ashley Williams face was clouded by obscured emotions, unsure of what to say.

"Open your eyes, you'll see it too." Garrus finished before turning to Big Boss who approached beside Mordin. "Mission's over, Boss."

Snake nodded, albeit painfully. He regarded the woman Garrus was speaking to as she walked back to where she appeared from before looking to Miranda.

"Joker, send the shuttle to pick us up. We're done here." She said, understanding his gesture.

It was shortly thereafter that they were back on the Ishmael, tired and exhausted, but in good spirits at the relative success of their mission.

Snake sat on one of the beds in the medbay, as Dr. Michel bustled to-and-fro with medical equipment.

He suffered from a mild concussion, and a few bruised ribs and vertebras. But he had otherwise come out unscathed. He was continuing to grow more and impressed by the technologies and evolutions in medicine of the future. Where instead of having to rest for a week, a neurological scan and a light bone weaving session would make it only a matter of a few days before he was cleared for the field again.

The bulkhead to the bay opened and Miranda stepped in with a tray of food in her hands.

"How are you feeling, Boss?" She asked as she came near.

He looked up and offered a curt, careful nod in response.

"He has only a small concussion. Bruising on spine and ribs will require bit longer to recover, but thankfully, nothing broken." Dr. Michel said from behind her datapad.

"Good. Hopefully something like that doesn't happen again." Miranda silently offered the food tray to him. The man began to protest, but she forced the tray into his hands.

"Shut up and eat." She said with a flair of tease.

Snake smirked lightly before taking and looking into the tray. A mix of fruits, vegetables, cheese and sushi rolls were neatly separated. It was only then that he realized how hungry he was as he began to eat.

Miranda sat on the bed opposite him, folding one leg over the other. "The Collectors escaped with approximately one third of Horizon's population. The Illusive Man has a front corporation to funnel supplies, monetary aid and bodies to help the remaining colonists." She informed him as he began to shovel food into his mouth.

"We managed to beat the Collectors back, and saved some lives in the process."

Snake nodded. The mission was a success. It was a pity that they could not save everyone. Though, he learned a long time ago, that it was impossible to save everyone, and it only served to weigh him deep into the ocean of regret, better some, than none.

"Our intel teams also recovered a number of Collector resources. The pods, weapons, artifacts… We're beginning dissections of the bodies left behind. Mordin has one in the science-bay, leading his own dissection."

He swallowed down the rest of the tray, and nodded a silent thanks to her.

"Anything on why they're taking colonists?" He asked.

Miranda shook her head. "Not yet. But I imagine we'll find out soon enough. The Illusive Man has his eyes watching for Collector activity now. In the meantime, you should rest and recover. We need you, Big Boss." She said and hopped down from the bed, taking the empty tray from him.

"The Illusive Man would also like a report, but I suggested he wait till you are better." She added as she began to leave the medbay.

He pushed himself off the bed delicately, his head throbbed and vertigo still played with him. "I'm fine." He protested.

She frowned, but did not argue.

"One minute, Big Boss." Dr. Michel spoke, her voice sweet in his ears. Her accent was a surprising welcome to him, reminding him that this was reality, where humanity was diverse, and still as foreign as it was in his time, reminding him of a century he once called home.

She offered to him a dixie cup with two translucent pills in it, and a plastic cup of water. "One will ease your headache, the other to keep you awake. You will need to stay away for the next several hours." She said.

He swallowed the pills and drank them down with the water. "Thank you." He said, his voice betraying his shyness.

She was a beautiful woman, and her accent only amplified it.

She smiled and gestured that it was okay for him to leave, and he did so with a timid aversion of his eye, exiting the medbay.

The dog had been waiting for him, barking happily as he entered the Mess Hall. He bent down, slowly as his head ached when he moved too quickly, and scratched her head.

She seemed to read his read his character, as she was gentle, and sweet, burying her face in his hand lovingly before running into the Mess Hall when the chef— Junji Ito, whistled, and set a tray down on the floor for her.

Snake followed the dog, giving a curt bow of his head to the chef, as well as Kenneth and Gabby, who stood and offered a salute.

"Boss. Great job on saving those colonists." Donnelly said.

"Yes, it feels great to actually be doing something out here." Daniels added.

He nodded for them return to at ease, and they sat back down. And when he got himself a bottle of water from the fridge, he joined them, feeling relief in his bones as he sat down and relaxed.

"How was it down there? Fighting the Collectors?" Donnelly asked.

He opened his water and took a drink, its coolness a refreshing elixir.

"It was a tough fight." He said.

Daniels nodded. "We can only imagine. As far as I know, no one has fought against Collectors before. Or lived to tell the tale anyway."

"Garrus said there were husks down there as well." Kenneth interjected.

Snake nodded.

"Then Commander Shepard was right all along. It's the Reapers." He said, with great enthusiasm and pride.

Gabby leaned back in her seat, "After Sovereign, she said there were going to be more like it, and they were out in dark space, on their way here. But the council denounced her claims. Saying Sovereign was a geth ship, manned by Saren—"

"It was bullshit. She died, and they said it was geth that shot down the Normandy, when geth sightings hadn't been in that cluster in weeks. They're jus' too stupid to see the bigger picture." Kenneth said, his face contorted with anger.

Snake watched Daniels glance at Kenneth, a curious look. He could not tell if it was pity, resentment, love or forlorn in her eyes, maybe it was all of the above.

"At least with Cerberus, we're actually making a difference here. Shepard won't have died for nothin'." Gabby said, before adding with a sweet grin, "And who knew it'd be an old vet' from over a hundred years in the past that'd be leading us to avenge her?"

Snake smirked and he finished his water before a sudden thought occurred to him.

Most everyone on this ship was here because of Commander Shepard, and the example she led by. She was a beacon to them, a defender of their home, taken too soon. She was an inspiration to them. But most of them had never met her, only seen her in vids, or heard stories about her.

"Where did the Normandy go down?" He asked.

"The Amada System, in the Omega Nebula." Kenneth answered.

He nodded, and stood. "We'll go see her. Give her one last send off. A soldier's farewell. Be ready to suit up."

Kenneth's mouth hung open, and his eyes looked sad and happy at the same time. "I… Yes, Boss. Thank you." He said and stood with a salute. Gabby joined him too.

The others in the Mess Hall stood and saluted as well; Matthews, Gardner, Goldstein and Patel, and even their statue-esque security advisor, Rolston... they had all admired the woman, Commander Shepard.

Snake activated his omni-tool, "Joker. Plot a course for the Amada System, in the Omega Nebula." He said into the ship-wide intercom.

There was a silence, before the pilot spoke. "Why… Why there?"

"To find the Normandy."

Joker did not reply. Only the static of the radio played at the crew in the Mess Hall.

The ship vibrated loudly in response, the sign that she was on the move, tingling the soles of Snake's feet.

He nodded to the crew, who returned to what they were doing, and turned to leave.

The dog belched loudly, and Junji smirked, bending down and retrieving the tray. "Go on now, dog." He said to her.

She barked in response and ran after Snake, joining him in the elevator.

 _Boom. What a beast of a chapter to put out. I hope you enjoyed it! I've decided that I'm going to start a second story that will have all the companion missions, as well as some oneshots on the crew of the Ishmael that'll be from the crew POV. That way it doesn't interrupt the flow of this story/novelization, and we'll get to see what the crew think of our doppelganger heading the ship. Thanks for reading! —AThousandSuns_


	11. Chapter X: Diamonds

**Mass Effect: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow**

 **Chapter X: Diamonds**

His cigarette dabbed lightly into the ashtray, and his eyes flickered with every blink. The burning star behind him was a rich blend of blues and whites, matching the shade of the Illusive Man's illuminating eyes. His disposition was calm and unemotional, something Venom Snake was beginning to suspect to be only a mask he wore. It worried him that he felt they shared something similar in that regard.

"Boss." Said the Illusive Man, "Good work on Horizon. Hopefully, the Collectors will think twice before attacking another colony."

Snake gestured with delicate incline of his head in affirmation, his brain still ached and reeled from his concussion only six hours ago.

The Illusive Man continued, "They'll be more careful now, but I think we can find another way to lure them in. We have to keep the pressure on. They'll be more cautious with their ground operations, so we need another opening. I'm devoting all resources to finding a way through the Omega 4 relay. We have to hit them where they live."

"Omega 4 relay?" Snake asked.

"It's a Mass Relay in the Omega Nebula, Sahrabarik system. No ship that has ever gone through it has returned. None, with the exception for the Collectors. I believe it leads to their home world, wherever that may be."

"Why don't we go there now?" Snake shifted on his feet and flexed his fists at his sides.

"Your team will need to be strong… as will their resolve. There's no looking back. Once we find a way through the Omega 4 relay, to the Collector home world… there's no guarantee you'll return. To have any hope of surviving, you— your entire team and crew— must be fully committed to this."

Snake remained silent, but he agreed, "I'll make sure they're ready." He answered.

"Good. I just want to make sure you and your team are at your best. I've forwarded three more dossiers. Keep building your team, and help them find their resolve, while I find a way through the relay."

The Illusive Man slipped the cigarette between his lips and breathed it in deep, "And be careful, Boss. The Collectors will be watching you now."

Venom Snake stepped away from the interface, and turned to see Jacob standing there, his arms folded over his chest.

"I guess we're really gonna do it. Hit the Omega 4 relay, take the fight to the Collectors in person."

Snaked nodded.

"Looking forward to the action. After seeing what those bastards did on Horizon though… makes you think." Jacob said grimly.

"What's wrong?"

Jacob shook his head, but stared at the ground, "Nothing, but… just there's a good chance we're not coming back, even if we get it done."

He looked back up and stood straight. "Gonna have to take care of a little unfinished business. I imagine everyone else too. Get some closure, you know?" He saluted and left Snake, and through the door, the dog laid in wait.

Snake stepped out and greeted her with a half a smile, and her tail pattered against the floor happily. He gestured with his hand for her to follow him and she bounced to her feet and followed him into the CIC.

" _Big Boss, we are currently several minutes away from the planet Alchera. The Ishmael will break the atmosphere shortly."_ EDI's voice rang through the intercom.

Kelly Chambers turned to speak to him, "I think this is a wonderful idea, Boss." She said seriously, "The crew here, almost all of us signed up, or were recruited because of Commander Shepard."

"Did you?" Snake asked.

She nodded, "Partly. The Illusive Man handpicked me for this operation to assist you and oversee the crew as a counsellor and psychologist, in the event of mental disorders developed due to the mission, but I agreed because I admired the Commander very much."

"What was she like?"

"I never met her personally, but she was the first human Spectre, a survivor from the Mindoir Massacre, and a war hero after the Skyllian Blitz. She rallied the colonists to fight the raiding batarian pirates and slavers, and when they broke through their defenses; she singlehandedly held them off and sealed the breach. She was amazing, and many considered her the spiritual successor of Solid Snake." Kelly said, the shine of awe in her eyes.

Venom Snake glanced at the ground and had to force himself to stop from smiling.

That Solid Snake was still considered 'the man who made the impossible possible'. He wondered if Big Boss would have ever been proud of him, for becoming such a prolific figure to humanity, that even a century later, they were still speaking of him.

He did not know, but he would feel proud for him.

"Are you going to the surface?" He asked her.

She nodded, "Yes. Though I imagine I will become a complete wreck down there. Please don't hold it against me." She smiled.

Snake felt a tug at the corner of his lip and nodded also before he moved to the elevator to get ready.

When he was suited up in his Ajax Armor, he exited the elevator to the hangar where most of the crew had gathered, donning their exo-suits and battle armor. Their faces were somber, but eager as well while they checked and double checked each other's suits.

Alchera, the world that the SSV Normandy had crashed into, was a documented ice world. Temperatures in the low -20's were when the planet was in its warm season. EDI had informed him that its atmosphere was a mixture of ammonia and methane, and its large size made its gravity less dense than usual.

It was a frozen hell hole, according to Garrus, which was why the derelict ship was virtually untouched by both Alliance and scavengers since its demise.

Snake considered the readying crew. There was only about seventeen of them gathered. Some of them chose to stay aboard, either out of respect for the dead, or fear. Others, did not know how to feel.

Joker did not speak a word since Snake told him to plot a course for the system. He did not even protest when EDI began speaking on his or the Ishmael's behalf.

Garrus had told him it was because he blamed himself for Shepard's death, when he initially refused to abandon the Normandy.

And Snake understood. The guilt was eating away at him, and despite the brave, sardonic face Joker wore, he could see right through it. It would be something he would have to come to terms with, before they went through the Omega 4 Relay, or else it could be the death of them all, revenge was a good catalyst, but it would only leave a hole filled with all that anger.

"Boss." Miranda called to him, snapping him from his thoughts.

He approached her and raised a brow as she wore only her skin suit and a transparent respirator over her face.

"Aren't you a little underdressed?" He asked.

The woman smirked, "My suit has microfiber heat insulators. It should protect me enough from the cold. Besides, shouldn't you be worrying about your shrapnel scar not fitting into your helmet?" She gestured to the horn that sprouted from his cranium, tucked into his hairline.

Snake lifted his hand and felt the tip of the fragment that jutted out.

" _I'm already a demon."_

He forgot that it was there sometimes and frowned when he realized she was right, the helmet under his arm would be ineffective if he could not get it over the debris.

"Got you covered, Boss." Zaeed said as he tossed a different mask to Snake.

He caught it in his hand and looked it over; it resembled a blood crimson gas mask, with two respirators on either side of its shielded mouth, and it had a ceramic face, with two round, shielded eyes.

"Figured that horn of yours would be a son of a bitch to get into a helmet, so you can have my spare HAVOK Hazard Mask. Should fit nice and snug." The old mercenary said, slipping his own over his face.

Snake muttered a thanks before he slipped the mask over his face. It locked securely to his skin, and the mask barely touched the shrapnel in his hairline.

The Ishmael touched down on the icy surface below, and powered down when settled.

" _The Ishmael is now in standby. Hangar bridge ready to descend."_ EDI announced over the intercom.

Snake approached the bridge and turned to face everyone waiting. He saw their faces, hidden behind their helmets and respirators, from Garrus to Hadley, they appeared as ready and determined as they could ever be.

"Drop the bridge, EDI." He said and faced the entrance.

" _Dropping hangar bridge now, Big Boss."_

The floor opened, and a gust of icy wind blew into the hangar, sending chills up the back of Snake's arms and neck.

He took the first step down to the surface, and the others followed him. His foot stepped into the untouched snow and it rippled under the force of his foot.

There was only ice and snow all around, as far as the eye could see beneath the dancing aurora in the sky. And for a moment, he almost believed the ship was not there, until he saw the broken hull of the ship behind him, jutting out of the ground as if to cry for help.

Garrus was the first to join him in the snow.

Snake could not see his face, but he imagined his expression was that of deep sadness, and incredible despair.

"This was a good ship—good crew, Boss. I was back in C-Sec when I heard the news that the Normandy was gunned down." He said, and began to lead the group outside.

Snake followed him closely, as Miranda, Jacob and Zaeed joined him in line.

"Geth sightings stopped for weeks in the system, and the Council refused to listen to Shepard after Sovereign. Putting her on geth 'clean up' duty. Never been so pissed off in my life." Garrus continued, looking at the devastation around him, "That's when I quit being a cop, and followed Shepard's lead. Sometimes when you want things done, you have to break protocol. To hell with the consequences."

They came to a large part of the ship, half buried in the snow.

"Looks like the old CIC." Jacob said, lifting his omni-tool and scanning the damaged hull.

"There could be some tech we could use." Miranda suggested, and took a step forward.

Snake placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks, and shook his head.

"Let the dead sleep."

"Boss—"

"They're still in the walls. They can hear and see us." He looked into the derelict hull, "Let them rest, Miranda." He whispered warmly, and pulled his hand away.

She eyed him curiously, but moved back and nodded, "Yes, Boss." She said.

Garrus led them to another part of the ship, with what looked like that of a wrecked six wheeled tank. Despite the breached roof, it was still in good shape, and maybe even repairable if given the resources.

The turian grinned and shook his head, "Can't believe the MAKO is still in one piece."

He cast a glance at Snake, "Shepard nearly killed us damn near a dozen times, trying to scale mountains in this thing." He glanced back at the tank, "She drove about as well as she danced."

Snake snickered and they moved onto the next part of the wreckage.

Kenneth and Gabby followed closely behind, inspecting the shell of what once was the ships shuttle.

"It's crazy to think that the Normandy went down, even here and now. Couldn't have been geth." Kenneth Donnelly said.

"Just look at the melted corners of the hull, no sign of velocity difference." Gabby said, pointing at the damaged crew deck.

"Aye. Must've punched right through the shields."

" _Boss, I'm reading unique environmental scans of an object not part of the original Normandy, overlooking the methane lake near what used to be the cockpit."_

EDI's voice was a chill ringing and he looked in the direction of the frozen lake at the head of the cliff. He could see an object with a holo-interface that swam beneath the lights of the sky.

Snake and Garrus led the way for the group toward the peculiar object, and stopped in front of it.

The turian sniper looked it over, and stepped back with a sigh, "T'soni..." He exhaled.

"What is it?" Snake asked from beneath this mask, unable to discern what it was.

Garrus lifted his omni-tool, and typed away on its interface.

The holo-screen burst into a enormous blooming universe of coloured stars, shining brightly against the aurora that moved like waves as its backdrop.

"It's a memorial. For Shepard, and the crew. By Liara T'soni; someone who served on the Normandy with us." He said.

Snake stared up into the images, tracing the stars that were the Milky Way galaxy.

The interfaced image changed to another, this time, projecting an image of a smiling woman with dark crimson hair, and a freckled face and confident blue eyes.

She was clad in dark armor with a distinctive N7 on her chest plate, and a heavy sniper rifle was gripped casually in her hand, resting on her shoulder. At her side was her crew, Garrus and the woman, Ashley Williams stood with her, as well as an asari woman in white, with the MAKO tank behind them.

The hush of the wind over the snow, was the lone sound that swayed in the hollow of Snake's ear. The crew had fallen silent as they stared up at the picture of the Commander.

Snake swallowed.

She was a beautiful woman, her eyes and smile exuded confidence and a warmness about her. Her hand was on Garrus' shoulder in a display of comradery, and he thought of how much Shepard might have really meant to the turian.

He saw it when he looked over at him, his breathing and posture spoke volumes.

He idolized the Commander, would follow her to the deepest part of hell, and would have died for her if she ordered it.

Snake sighed. He had seen death many times. Good people who did not deserve it, who should have lived out the rest of their days happy and free, without danger in their lives. It was never any easier to see the world empty without them.

"She should be here…" He said, and looked back up at the screen, "Not me."

Garrus was quiet, before he spoke again, "This was her fight. When she died, I wrote off the galaxy for dead and gone. The least I could do was make life easier for the good people that deserved it, before the end came knocking."

He looked back at Snake, "But we're making a difference now. You aren't Shepard—no one ever will be… but I'm beginning to think you might be the only one who can lead this fight now." Garrus said, and nudged his arm reassuringly.

Snake stared at him, and then at the crew that stood behind them.

They all seemed to agree. Their eyes were hurt, but an underlying determination burned like embers, ready to erupt into an inferno. They wanted revenge for the now gone Commander.

He stared back at the monument overlooking the valley, and took a step forward when he saw engravings in its face:

 _Commander;_

 _Allison Jane Shepard_

 _An Echo in our Legends,_

 _Forever_

The names of the Normandy crew were listed as well, both those alive and deceased were scripted in detailed, attractive calligraphy.

An unusual, clear glass canister sat at the base of the monument and he lifted it up cautiously to inspect it.

"It's an urn." He said when he saw inside.

Her ashes were here. They bounced and stirred in the canister, shifting with the movement of his hands from the low gravity, as if disturbed in sleep.

She should be leading this crew, not him. His reason to take this mission was to be an attempt at redemption, for all the horrible little things he and his friends had done to the world he knew. It spanned into the next generation, and had stolen many lives in the process, more than he could bare to name.

He was a demon, and this woman, a hero.

Only wreckage and fire lay in his wake.

She saved entire worlds.

He destroyed, and she built.

She was young and beautiful, and he was ugly and old.

"This shouldn't be where she dies." He said unthinkingly, as he stared into the ashes.

He stood at the edge of a platform, and in his hands were the ashes of another, centuries dead now. He wore their ashes on his face, breathed them in, to be a part of him forever. He could feel them enter every pore in his skin, and gripped tightly to his lungs, to stay and never let go. To be with their Boss where they belonged, with their family, forever.

"What do you mean?" Garrus asked.

Snake gazed into the glassed urn once more, before carefully handing it to the turian.

"Stars don't go quietly into the night... She's still bright." He said, and regarded the crew that stood, watching.

" _A shining light… even in death."_

He looked back at Garrus, who bore into the ashes as well, "…We're going to bring her with us, carry her into battle. She'll finish this fight, and we're going to help her. She needs you." He turned to the crew, "All of you… to carry her there."

"What... What do you mean?" Kelly Chambers asked, with a shaky, wisp of her voice. Unfallen tears filled her eyes, her hand gripped tightly over her heart.

"We'll make diamonds… shining lights to lead us into the heart of hell." Venom Snake said, and placed a hand on Garrus' shoulder.

"This isn't where she dies."

The turian looked up. He could not see his face, not beneath the mask he wore, he did not even know if he could read his face correctly, given the differences between their expressions as species'.

But he nodded and whispered, "She won't go quietly. Not while she's still bright."

 _Thanks for reading guys. — AThousandSuns_


End file.
